The Past Always Catches Up
by Hopefulled
Summary: It's three years after the war and Ginny's lies and secrets during the wizarding war finally catch up with her. AU.
1. Chapter 1

_I'm just flooding this idea to see if anyone is interested, even though it's taking over my brain a bit so may just have to get written.  
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_This first part is a teaser with enough in there to give alot away, and hopefully also leave some large questions.  
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_I only own one character so far in this. The rest I'm borrowing and messing up their lives for the sake of entertainment. Mine and hopefully yours.  
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_They say you make some bad choices when you're a teenager. I always felt mine had to be some of the worst. Well ones that left me with a burden of guilt and lies which I had carefully woven around myself so that my family were none the wiser. That was until now._

_I sat on a bed in a small house on the Mediterranean Coast of France watching my Mother's face turn several shades, as she tried to find the words which needed to come after her declaration of. "Ginerva Molly Weasley we need to talk, and do not try and lie to me." If I hadn't known what was coming I would have laughed at my mother finally being speechless. But there I sat, my knees tucked up under my chin with my arms wrapped around them waiting for my world to fall apart. Wondering how much longer I could have kept the secret if I had come back here on my own. _

_Back here you ask. Here, is where I spent the last two years of my Wizarding Education. At Beauxbaton's Academy of Magic, but I was only a daygirl as they are called and lived with a young couple down the road. It was their sudden deaths which brought me back, to take guardianship of my 3 year old Goddaughter, who was born during my time here. I had just tucked her in for the night, only leaving her room once I was sure she slept soundly. So here I was caught, all my careful secrets and avoidance for the last few years catching up with me. My mother had seen the proof with her own eyes. _

Four weeks later.

I was exhausted when we finally made it too the burrow. I couldn't believe I had to start training again tomorrow. But if I wanted to keep my place on the Harpies I would find the energy somewhere. "Welcome home." I whispered to Olivia who was looking around the cozy living area of the burrow with wide eyes. Her head snuggled against mine. I really thought some of my family would be here after all Mum and I had been away for over a month.

"Right, here we are then. Ginny, up the stairs you go. I think you and Liv should be on the same floor so Percy's and Bill's rooms sound good." My Mother stepped out of the fireplace dusting herself off and typically jumping straight into it. "I'll drop your trunks off up there on the way to my room." She pushed past with all our luggage which had been shrunken or we would never have gotten home through the Floo Network.

I watched her go. "Where is everyone?" I asked half wanting to face everyone at once and half wanting to run back to France.

My mother stopped suddenly, turning to give me a look that spoke volumes. "I would think that being honest with your father would be the first thing, before you put up with all your brothers." She stated in her matter of fact manner. But I knew she was worried about what my lies would do to our family unit.

I sat down with Olivia in my arms and brushed some hair out of her face. It was shoulder length and shiny and I doubted I would ever get over the soft feel of it. "So what do you think? A new bedroom next to mine?" I asked her. "We can set up all your toys."

She nodded, looking around and back at me, blinking a little then nodding. "Where's Gran gone?" She asked. My mother had declared that was what Olivia was to call her. It was fare enough as that was what my niece Victorie and Nephew Fred called her. They were of course younger than Olivia.

"She's just gone to put all our things up stairs." I answered trying to feel strong for her. Wondering just where my Gryffindor courage had disappeared to.

The fire roared to life, and the next thing I knew my old Professor was looking at me fondly. "Ah, Ginny you made it home alright then?" McGonagall stated.

I answered with a nod. "Look Liv, there's someone I want you to meet. This is Minevra." Placing Olivia on the floor in front of the fireplace and joining her on my knees.

Liv did her little shy wave. While Professor, no Headmistress McGonagall now smiled at the little girl. "Nice to finally meet you Olivia, I hope to see you in person soon." She stated before turning back to me. "How did it go? How is your Mother?"

"Silently fuming." I answered truthfully, because well there wasn't any other way to put it. She was trying to be understanding, she was trying to help. But she was hurt, and I was the one to blame. "I'm sorry she worked it out straight away. Well my part in it."

McGonagall nodded her head. "Yes, I was expecting that much. I dare say she will floo here soon enough. I hope you will come in and bring Olivia in soon."

I nodded. If someone had told me when I was 13 years old that one day my strict house professor would help me hoodwink everyone I knew I would have laughed but that was exactly what she had done when I had turned to her for help almost 4 years ago. "I will, oh, and if Mum asks it was some muggle in the village." I tell McGonagall.

I feel small when I see my old professor's eyes well up at my lie. But she nods her head as if to give in. "If you think that's for a best, you know my thoughts on the matter."

"I do." I answered on both counts with a confidence I wasn't sure I still had. I hoped it would stay.

She nodded again. "Must get back to work, I am thinking of you Ginny." She finished and was gone.

Olivia pulled on my top. "Can I have cookies and milk?" She asked. I was so glad her parents had brought her up to speak English more than French. They were both British after all two Gryffindors from their own days at Hogwarts.

"Sure sweetie." I answered looking at my watch. It was time for afternoon tea. I stood holding out my hand, which she took. I wondered how she would go tomorrow when I had to leave her for the first time since arriving in France almost 5 weeks ago. I was now the only person left in her life that she knew before her parent's deaths.

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Let me know if you want more, or if it sucks. LOL.

Hopefulled


	2. Chapter 2

Well here is part two. There is so much back story to this fic, I thought I would get a fare amount out now.

It gives you all an understand of what Ginny went through, and an explanation of the choices she made.

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I tucked Olivia into bed singing gently too her, and reading her a goodnight story. She looked wide eyed when I kissed her goodnight, reminding her that I would be sleeping next door.

"It's a big house Ginny." She half questioned. Her little eyes scared.

"It is, but this is where I grew up. You can always call out for me. But right now I have to go back down and talk to my parents alright?" I smiled trying to reassure her. When in truth I didn't want to leave her. I just wanted to curl up next to her and forget the world, by just being thankful she hadn't been with Andre and Louisa Fleet when their muggle car had been in that fatal crash. I don't know what I would have done if she had died. A small voice in the back of my head told me I wouldn't be about to have a terrible conversation with my parents. But I pushed it back down. I had always known I would have to face the truth one day. Even if it meant breaking many hearts, I was just thankful that he was away again sunning it up in California with his latest girlfriend.

I leant over and tucked the blankets around her again kissing her on the forehead and whispering. "I love you baby girl."

She giggled slightly. "Love you too Ginny." She answered back and snuggled down. It had been over 4 weeks and I almost cried as I realised she hadn't asked about her parents all day. I know it had been a big day but the grief of a child trying to understand what death actually was could sometimes be exhausting. Especially when trying to explain they were now in heaven and she kept asking to go to Evan's house to see them.

I stepped outside of the bedroom leaving the door slightly open so that she could see the light from the hallway and took a deep breath. This was it. My Father hadn't been quite so onto it as my mother had been. In fact I was sure he thought I was about to talk to him about the fact I needed Mum to look after Liv while I trained and the fact I needed to move back home. A flat fill of female Quidditch players was not the place for a three year old, and I, well I was finally ready after almost four years to admit I needed my family again. I wanted Liv to have what I had, a family that didn't consist of just two parents and an over indulgent Godmother who flooed in for visits every few months.

Taking a deep breath I walked down the stairs and into the Kitchen. My Mother nodded to a Coffee she had made me, and sitting down I could tell from the smell it was strong.

She sat down next to my father who happened to be sitting across from me. Could she have set it up any more like I was going to be integrated? Why didn't she just shine a light brightly into my face, or give me veritaserum? But I was immediately glad that she wasn't like that, otherwise the real truth may have just opened a whole other can of worms.

"Ginny. I believe you have something to tell your father." She started.

Dad smiled at me. "I'm impressed Ginny. You are doing a fine job with that little girl and taking responsibility."

My mother glared at me. I swallowed. Looking down before I spoke so quietly, I felt a little like I was back in the days when I was too nervous around Harry to even speak. "I should have been taking responsibility for her since the day she was born." My mother seemed to like this mumble and nodded her head at me. My father well he just looked confused. I squeezed my eyes shut. You're a Gryffindor I told myself once more. "Olivia is actually my daughter. I had her while I was Beauxdatons in my first year there." I spat out and let my shoulders slouch then returned to my mumble. "Andre and Louisa adopted her from me."

I took a deep breath and finally raised my eyes to see my father's reaction. His eyes were wide. "You were…..you were only 16."

I nodded. "It was the war. I couldn't tell… I couldn't let you all down." I tried to explain.

"McGonagall helped her. She organized the Fleets to take her in, organized the scholarship with Olympe Maxime." My mother added. "I'll be having some words with Minevra." She finished with a huff.

It was with this that I my confidence seemed to well and I spat out quickly my reasoning. Even though it would probably be more sound if I was being completely honest with them. "You were fighting a war. Ron had taken off with Hermione and Harry to do who knows what. Percy wasn't talking to any of us. Bill was just married. Charlie lived in Romania and the twins were too busy with the shop and their underground work. Can you imagine what a teen pregnancy would have added to the mix? We were all under constant threat. The Cloak read mortal peril for all of us, every minute of the day. You were happy enough for Minevra to send me off to France on a scholarship with fake papers for my safety."

"Because we thought you would be safe there Ginny, not sleeping around." My Father pinched his nose under his glasses like he was getting a headache.

"It didn't happen in France." My mother told him. "Did you not hear what I just told you Arthur? Minevra knew she was pregnant, that's why she organized to send her away."

My father groaned looking at me. I felt like I could see his brain trying to place the pieces together about who the father could be. I took another deep breath and lied out right. "I went to a few parties that summer with Melissa remember?" My muggle friend from the village. "Well I got drunk and hooked up with some guy. I don't even know his name." That should at least stop my brothers trying to seek him out I thought.

What I saw next made me feel worse than anything Mum had yelled at me or implied to me over the last few weeks. My father was crying and my mother who wrapped her arm around him was shedding quite a few tears as well.

Dad then looked at me. "All this time, you never thought to tell us that you had given our oldest grandchild away?" He asked.

"I couldn't." At least that part was the truth.

"She….." Mum sniffed. "She had signed the no-trace magical adoption pact." That was the one thing my mother understood at least. I was bound by the contract never to talk about it until Olivia turned 17. Unless, like had happened in this case her adoptive parents died leaving her to my guardianship. At which point she became mine again.

My Father pulled out a hankie and whipped his eyes. "Why would you do such a thing, it was clearly an open adoption, you visited at least 4 times a year?" He questioned confused.

"I wasn't going to. In fact I wasn't sure I was going to give her away at all. But she was born…" My mind raced back to the pain, the joy, the heartbreak knowing that my family were probably fighting for their lives at that very moment, while I held in my arms the first of the next generation. "She was born during the battle of Hogwarts. The Wireless announced Harry was dead." I squeezed my eyes at the memory, and the heartache, which was so quickly replaced by the knowledge that I had to keep my daughter safe no matter what the cost. "If…if that was true I knew we all only had a little while before every Weasley was tracked down and killed. You had been in hiding for months yourselves." I tried to explain. "That contract meant no one could find out about her until she turned 17. No matter what they did to me I couldn't tell anyone about her."

"But Harry didn't die." Dad leaned over the table and took my hand. "But it was too late wasn't it? You had already signed the contract with your blood. Binding you and McGonagall to never talk about it except with each other and the Fleets." I nodded. Squeezing his hand, thankful that he could at least understand something of what had happened. He sighed. "I'm not happy about this Ginny. It's not the life I wanted for my little girl. But we love you."

I nodded. "I know Dad, I know." Mum's anger and frustration I could handle. Dad's heartbroken loving acceptance was another thing all together.

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As far as dates for this fic, I've done my research and I have them right before anyone asks. Just thought I would put that out there now. LOL.

Please R&R.

Hopefulled.


	3. Chapter 3

Thanks for the comments. Some confusion with age was pointed out to me, the term of phrase I used in the first part I can now see could be a bit confusing. I have now corrected it. Ginny was 15 when she got pregnant and 16 when she had Olivia.

I will get to Harry, but I think it will take a few more parts.

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Mum and Dad remained upset with me, that much I knew even though I could see they were trying their hardest. After all they couldn't really argue with me. If Harry hadn't 'returned from the dead' and defeated 'Voldermort' my decision making made sense. So now did my strange illness that stopped me returning home until the day of Fred's funeral and leaving a few days later after not doing much other than sitting with George and avoiding as many people as I could. George had just accepted I was as devastated as him, we didn't actually talk much and Ron, Hermione and Harry were so busy with the Ministry and rounding up Death eaters that I only saw them at the service and for dinner afterwards.

It had certainly been easy to give Harry the cold shoulder. His death stunt had caused me to be bound for 17 years to lie to him and my family. The famous Ginny temper had certainly been silently fuming away.

Mum decided somewhere during the evening before that yes I had to be honest with the rest of my family but not the wizarding world at large. Much to my relief, our family still had too larger profile and I would be at risk of losing my job the one thing that I desperately needed now to provide for Olivia and myself.

My Imagination couldn't stop the headlines that would flash in my head whenever I thought too hard about it.

'Harpie's Star Chasers Teen Pregancy!'

'Weasley Families Dirty Little Secret!'

Also too my relief Harry seemed to have taken off with one of his high profile girlfriends again. He seemed to run through them now days. He's latest being an American Model. His job as an Auror here in Britain all but forgotten while he lived with her in California, meaning there was no way he would be here for the family meeting my parents were planning.

Which suited me just fine, the more he was too busy with his own life, the less he needed to know about mine.

Now if I could just convince my parents that Ron and Hermione didn't need to know, or even all of my brothers. I would feel a lot better. Hermione was too bright for her own good, and Ron? Well maybe he would actually realise that Harry wasn't as perfect as he seemed to think.

All of this ran through my mind as I packed my bag for training. George and Dad had been great and packed up all my things from my flat returning them to the burrow while Mum and I had been in France.

Rushing back down the stairs to where I had left Olivia I had to stop and smile at the sight I saw in front of me. Dad had Olivia on his knee and was reading to her from 'The Tales of the Beetle and Bard.' while Mum looked fondly on them from where she was cooking breakfast.

"Right, I'm ready now." I said dropping my gear. "Are you going to be alright Mum? She likes cookies for afternoon tea but only fruit for Morning…." I started taking a seat at the table.

Mum rolled her eyes and smiled at me. "I did bring up seven of you."  
She gently reminded me.

"But…" I started again, suddenly not wanting to return to training. What if she needed me?

"Once you and your father leave I'm taking Olivia to meet Teddy Lupin." Mum stated. "They are pretty close in age and will make friends I'm sure."

I nodded wondering why I hadn't thought of that. I had been worried she wouldn't know anyone her age here.

Dad finished the story he had been reading and tickled Olivia who giggled madly at him and then looked up at me. She jumped off his knee and ran around to climb up onto mine.

"You and Grandad Arthur are going to work?" She questioned me with wide eyes.

"Yes, but I'll be home before him, maybe even in time for afternoon tea with you." I answered kissing her cheek. Hoping Gwenog wouldn't keep us in the air too long today.

Olivia nodded, and pouted. "Why do you have to go to work?" She asked.

"So I can make some money." I answered, trying to explain. "Remember how your father went to Beauxbatons most days to teach?" I asked her, and waited for her nod. "That was his job, so that he could buy you food, clothing and toys." I tried to explain, while she furrowed her eyebrows cutely at me. "My job is playing Quidditch. Even though I train much more than I actually play."

Mum served up and I placed Olivia next to me so we could eat her little face still looking at me like she didn't get the concept of work. Mum just patted her on the head smiling. "Jobs are just something adults do. You're a little girl so you get to play all day." She simply stated.

Olivia nodded like this was acceptable to her and making my attempt at an explanation seem far too long and complicated for her.

Looking up I saw Dad studying Olivia. "You know…" He started clearly thinking out loud. "She doesn't look that much like you. Her hair isn't Weasley red it's a dark auburn, murky green hazel eyes. Molly, how did you see it straight away?" He questioned shaking his head.

My Mother sighed. "She has the Prewett toes." This information almost wanted to make me laugh again. A little like it had in France. I mean I knew Liv's toes were like mine, and it was a bit of a give away to my mother. But I wasn't too sure it was going to be for the rest of my family and sure enough by the look on my father's face I knew it wasn't.

My father shook his head. "Ahh, the famous Prewett toes the genetic mutation that none of our boys inherited much to your disgust. Maybe we should allow Ginny to settle and get used to being a parent before we throw the truth at the boys. After all I think they've worried about her more over the years than I have." He finished winking at me. "I know she can Bat-Bogey curse anyone that tries to cross her."

Mum looked a little frustrated. Like Dad was handing me an expensive toy he hadn't discussed buying with her beforehand. "Arthur, I don't like secrets. Ginny has pretty much excluded herself from every family event she could over the last few years. I know we all put it down to her changing in France, but well I think we need to clear the air as a family and start a fresh."

I could see both points of view but I liked Dad's so much better. After all if I went down that track I could avoid having to face the person Olivia's existence would affect the most.

"It would help my peace of mind maybe if we could just wait to tackle it when and if it arises?" I asked quietly knowing it was a lot. Checking to see what Olivia was doing beside me, but she was apparently once again immersed in my mother's cooking not paying any attention to the conversation, and was happily stuffing her mouth, reminding me a little too much of Ron.

Mum sighed, looking between my father and me, glancing at Olivia. "You're right I mean there was a few things that made me wonder. A certain look etc. But it wasn't until I saw the toes that I was sure." She looked at me, with a question in her eye, and then stated something that made me almost shiver. "There is a lot of hurt tied up in this situation Ginny. I have a sick feeling in my gut that this could blow our family apart unless we deal with it head on and truthfully. But I will concede I can see your Dad's point of view, and maybe we should just let everyone get to know Olivia and enjoy having you around again before we face this head on."

I let out a breath I didn't know I had been holding and jumped up to hug my parents. "Thank you, thank you."

Olivia broke out of her eating mode and looked up at the co-motion. "Are you leaving now?" She asked.

I looked at my watch. "Crap, I do have to go." I declared running over to grab my training bag before return to give her a hug and kiss on the cheek. "You be good for Gran now won't you?" I told her then gave her another kiss on the cheek. "Remember I love you."

Turning towards the fireplace I looked back at Mum. "Thanks Mum. I mean it, you've brought up your own kids, and now…." I ran back quickly giving Mum a hug, then patted Olivia on the head again, before actually returning to the Fireplace and grabbing a handful of floo powder and stepping into the fire.

As I called out. "Harpies Stadium." I heard my father saying.

"She's more maternal than I ever expected her to be." As I left in a spinning rush of emerald green flames.

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Please R & R. It does help. Next part will have most of the Weasley's in it.

Hopefulled.


	4. Chapter 4

Here's the next part, a bit of a filler, and an introduction of the rest of the Weasley's. I hope you enjoy it.

I don't own any of the characters I'm just messing with them. etc.

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**Hermione**

I was sifting through the paperwork on my desk trying to work out what I needed to review over the evening when my fiancé half staggered into my office, trying to pull his robes on over his suit. Unfortunately one arm seemed to be inside out and instead of correcting it before putting it on, Ron was trying to force his arm into it.

I had to snigger wondering if he had been doing it all the way down the lift and through the corridor into my office. "It really might help if you take that off and turn that sleeve in the right way before you try and put it on." I shook my head at him.

"No, no, I've almost got it." He said pushing one more time and much to my relief managed to get his hand through without tearing anything. "See." He grinned at me.

I nodded. "Good, with your Mum away with Ginny I don't want to have to fix your robes. You know sewing isn't my best point."

He grinned back at me. "That's why I'm here. They got back yesterday and Mum's called us all around for dinner." He rubbed his hands together and I imagined his mind working out just what he was going to eat. Cooking really wasn't one of my strong points either, and if Ron had his way we would eat at the burrow whenever we could.

"Oh." I mumbled looking once again at the pile of things I had made to take home and read that evening. "I suppose I won't have time for all of this then." I sighed, that would put me back a little on the new draft I was making for a paper on relations with Goblins for the Ministry. Instead I just grabbed a volume of ancient wizarding families, and my brief case. "I'll just take this for light reading before bed." I finished.

Ron rolled his eyes at me. "That's huge." He half spattered. "What do you need to read that for anyway?"

"Research." I answered. "Harry's family tree, you do remember he said I was the only one who was allowed to write his biography."

Ron half choked. "I'm not sure that was permission to write it more just a passing comment Mione. You know to get all those nutters off his back about wanting to write one themselves."

I just smiled at him. "You know it doesn't all have to be about Harry. It would be an opportunity to get into the silly attitudes and opinions that some pruebloods hold and how that led to the war. Harry's family history is amazing." I tried to explain.

"I thought a biography was meant to be about the person." Ron questioned me.

I scoffed. "Harry would hate that. If someone wants to read a biography on Harry they can learn about all the injustice and corruption in our world that he was fighting against. They aren't going to get a gossip book on his love life out of me."

Ron grinned at me. "No wonder I love you, that's brilliant." He stated before throwing an arm around me. "By the way it's his lack of love life, well real love life. It really would be a short book if you focused only on that and shocking for all those witches that hang off witch weekly. Shall we head down stairs and floo to the Burrow?"

I nodded thinking about what Ron had just said as I linked my arm in his and left my office. Harry's real life story since the war truly wasn't at all what the papers made it out to be.

The Burrow when we arrived there was slightly mad, but that certainly wasn't anything new. Little Fred was attempting to climb up a book case. Not that George and Angelina had noticed they were too busy arguing with Percy about some product of theirs that Percy wasn't too pleased about one of his staff using on him. While his poor girlfriend Audrey looked a little overwhelmed by the size of Fluer's stomach as she pulled her eight month pregnant self up from the couch to stop Fred before he fell on his head. Victorie ran into the room and threw herself at Ron declaring. "I just did poo's on the toilet." As she attached herself to Ron's leg.

Bill followed afterwards trying not to laugh his head off as Fluer looked slightly appalled before shrugging her shoulders and grabbing at Fred.

"Welcome to the mad house." Bill smiled giving me a half hug. "Sure you're up for being stuck with us for life in six months?" He waved his hand around the room.

I just smiled. "Didn't I tell you I'm only marrying Ron for his family?" I joked back putting my large book and bag down in a corner.

"Nice to see that your bringing home less reading." Snorted George as he eyed the size of the book before grinning at me. "I suppose it's good you've got enough brains for both you and Ron."

Ron who had now swung Victorie onto his shoulders, snarled slightly at George before turning to Percy. "I have the right to detain him and hold him for questioning for 24 hours. No questions asked by Robards."

Percy grinned. "Yeah, that could be fun."

"Ha, I don't think your Mum would feed you for a few months if you attempted that Ron." Angelina spat back, before nudging Percy on her way to wave her wand at Fred who had climbed out of Fluer's reach, levitating him out from the shelf and into her arms while shaking her head at Fluer. "He climbed out the flat window and was on the roof yesterday."

Fluer and Audrey gasped at her comment while George just grinned. "That's my boy, don't worry he seems to have worked out how to bounce."

"It's a relief really. No matter how much I lock, and put things out of his reach he still finds something to climb." Angelina snuggled her son who really just looked like a slightly lighter version of her. But I think that's where the similarities stopped. He seemed to be growing more and more like his namesake every day.

"Let's go and find out what Gran's cooking shall we?" Ron asked Victorie.

She nodded her head and grabbed his hair pulling on it. "Giddy up Horsey." She instructed while kicking her little legs into his shoulders.

I had to smile. Ron certainly had a way with the kids. They were always climbing all over him even when ever Teddy came to stay with us when Harry was home. Following them into the Kitchen to welcome back Molly.

We were greeted by. "Oh, good you're here at last. We can serve up." As Molly hugged each of us. "So good to see you both." She smiled then turned to where Ginny was sitting at the table with a little girl clearly Teddy's age drawing a picture. "Now, this is Olivia. Liv, this is your Uncle Ron and Aunty Hermione."

"Uncle?" Ron half questioned.

"Well what else is she going to call you Ron?" His mother questioned back.

I just smiled and went over to her and Ginny, giving Ginny's shoulder a squeeze, trying to be encouraging. We weren't really close anymore. She had always spent all her time training or in France. I wondered just how Molly was coping with being wanted by her only daughter again just because she was needed. "Hey Gin." I acknowledged. "Hi Olivia, nice to meet you, I like your picture."

The little girl just glanced shyly up at me, then back at Ginny as if she was seeking permission to talk. Ginny just nodded at her she then her eyes back to mine and smiled shyly. "Hi."

"She's a little overwhelmed by us all I think." Ginny explained. "But I'm sure she will get used to the family."

"Totally." I agreed then bent down to Olivia's eye level. "I'm an only child, so I wasn't used to all these people either. But I've been hanging out here a lot since I was about 13 and they are a lot of fun." I smiled at her.

She looked at me then at Ron who was once again doing Victorie's bidding and galloping around the Kitchen. "Are you married to him?" She asked.

"Not yet. We're getting married in spring about 6 months away." I told her.

She nodded. "Do you get to wear white dress?" She asked clearly more interested now.

"Yes I do." I told her.

"I'm going to be a Flower girl, aren't I Uncle Ron." Victorie announced, pulling on his hair once more. "Giddy up."

"Yes, you are and Teddy's going to be the ring bearer." Ron galloped past us once more.

"Teddy?" Olivia looked at Ginny.

While Molly waved her wand at the masses of food which started to serve itself up. "Yes, Teddy who you played with today." She answered Olivia then glanced at me. "I took her over to Andromeda's to play with Teddy today. They got on very well. Olivia's a natural on that toy broom Harry brought him." I couldn't help but notice Ginny look up at the mention of Harry. "Any idea when he will be back this time Ron?" Molly questioned referring to Harry.

Ron half stopped and glanced Ginny's way before clearly phrasing his answer in as way that wouldn't get him in trouble with the ministry. "No, hopefully not too much longer why?"

"Andromeda was just asking that's all. Teddy's missing his weekends with him. Don't get me wrong Harry's been sending some great presents from America, but it's just not the same. A child needs some sort of father figure in their life." Molly commented shaking her head.

"Yeah, I miss Teddy running into the jump on Ron to wake him up early on Saturday mornings as well." I smiled.

Ron just grinned at me. "I know he only does it when you and Harry tell him too. I would get up if you asked me too."

"Yeah, right." I shake my head, standing up again. "What can I do Molly?"

"Oh, nothing dear, just go and tell everyone to wash up will you." Molly answered me, shooing me back out of the Kitchen as she gave Olivia a kiss on the head and said. "Time to put your drawing away sweetheart, and wash up."

Olivia flashed her a big smile and immediately started to clean up, and I couldn't help but think Molly and Olivia had clearly bonded in the last few weeks.

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Let me know what you think. We will get to Harry.

Hopefulled.


	5. Chapter 5

Thank you for the reviews. Yes everything will be explained. As to Harry's dating lots of girls, I agree its not in character. But you'll find out I do tend to keep him in Character, other wise what is the point of writing a Harry Potter Fanfiction.

I don't own any of the characters.

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**Hermione  
**

Dinner as always was a busy affair at the Weasley household. We were so noisy I'm not too surprised poor Olivia hardly said a word from where she sat wedged between Arthur and Ginny.

Fleur asked Molly question after question about their trip, and bits and pieces about Olivia. I couldn't help but think how strange it was to have yet another child join our family circle who had lost both parents at a young age. It was almost like the Weasley's attracted them. First of course there was Harry. Then Teddy, who wasn't technically related to anyone, but being Harry's Godson, and Remus and Tonks being so close to many of the Weasley's no one ever questioned his or Andromeda's presence.

But even though we had heard of Olivia over the years and Ginny had spent just about all of her Annual Leave each year visiting the child. None of us had ever met her before.

Bill was in a deep conversation with Ron about curse breaking and protection spells. Ron's job as an Auror had really given them common ground with Bill still working for Gringotts. They could be often found going over detailed stories of their professions as most of the family couldn't keep up.

I tried to half ignore some ministry problem Percy was posing to me from across the table. Clearly hoping I would take up the mantle and fight it for him. I had a reputation for getting things done in my role as a Policy Writer. But I was more interested this evening in the dynamic of the fact that Ginny would be here more often now.

Angelina just interrupted Percy as she finished feeding Fred next to me, and was wiping his mouth. "Harry's been gone an awfully long time on this one, do you have any date when he might be back?" She asked clearly concerned for our friend.

I shook my head. "No, it feels like an age. If it goes on much longer I think Ron and I will have to go and visit him. I do get worried."

Angelina lifted Fred out of the highchair he was in and handed him to George so she could eat her own dinner I had to smile as George immediately started making funny faces at the child. "I know so do I. Surely he will need a good break at home when he gets back." She sighed I couldn't help but love how George and his friends had always looked out for Harry.

"I'm hoping." I lowered my voice, it was only Molly, Arthur, George and Angelina other than Ron and myself who knew the truth. "I'm hoping he will be back soon and be able to stay until the wedding."

"If you ask me, I think it's starting to get crazy. No other Auror could keep their job and take off for months at a time." Percy stated. "Harry Potter or not it sets a bad example."

"Oh, shut up." Ron mumbled.

While I just glared at Percy, Molly stopped her conversation with Fleur to look at Percy with disapproval. "One should not speak of things one knows nothing about Percy. Harry's a good boy and many of us at this table owe him our very lives."

"Here, here. Mum." George smiled at her.

Ginny looked up from where she had been helping Olivia cut her meat. "I think Percy has a point. Harry does seem to spend more time away from the office than in it now days if you believe the Prophet that is."

"Because the Prophet darling sister has always been the best information on Harry Potter has it?" Ron asked eyebrows raised.

Arthur cleared his throat. "Harry's job is between him and the Auror Department. It's not our place to judge."

"Yeah, I can just see you thinking highly of us if Percy or I started chasing famous people all over the world because we were shagging them." Ginny half argued, I wanted to cringe I know she had been hurt when we left for the Horcrux Hunt. But she had changed so much. I sometimes wanted to scream 'what happened to my best girl friend who had been so in love with Harry she used to wonder how she would ever live without him?'

I couldn't help but notice Molly's glare at her daughter. It had been clear to all of the family the first summer after the war that Harry had been interested in Ginny, but she had pretty much refused to even talk to him during the only two weeks she had returned to the Burrow after her exams before racing back to help Louisa with the new baby. Much to Molly's despair who after seeing Harry watching her and trying to talk to her I think had been planning on making him a true member of the family. If I had thought Harry had fallen into depression when Sirius died, it was nothing like what he went through when Ginny pretty much yelled at him towards the end of her stay that summer that she was not interested and was seeing someone in France.

Ron after that had gone from protective older brother to not really having too much time for his baby sister. I tried with her whenever she was around but felt like I got nowhere. I had always thought she would be my Maid of Honor when were at school together. I shook my head, the past is gone. Harry managed to pull himself out of the depression, and we were all fine. Luna was so excited about being my maid of honor and her and Harry always had fun together.

I somehow missed a part of the conversation with my thinking and realised that Ginny must have been told off as she wasn't looking to happy, and had returned to helping Olivia while Bill and Fleur had started another conversation. I couldn't help but think it would be interesting to find out just how much they had picked up on over the years. They never questioned Harry's so called extended vacations.

Angelina leaned and whispered in my ear. "Never thought I would hear Ginny sound so bitter about Harry?"

I nodded. I mean what was I going to say? It sucked? Well it did. Harry and Ginny should be together, and it was one of those things I could never get my head to accept was over even if it was like she had a personality transplant in France.

After dinner everyone spread out around the bottom floor of the burrow as per-normal. Ron was back with Victorie reading to her in a corner. I could see Olivia looking very interested from where she sat on Ginny's knee. So I pulled myself up and asked her. "Would you like to go and listen to the story with me? It's one of my favorites but I never heard it until I was an adult. How strange is that?" I asked referring to the Babbitty Rabbitty story Ron was reading.

Olivia glanced at Ginny and then took my hand. "Did your parents never read to you?" She asked.

I couldn't help but smile, my parents read to me all the time, which is why I love books so much. "Oh, they read alot too me, but I wasn't brought up magical, I only found out about the magical world when I turned eleven."

Olivia's eyes went even wider, reminding me of something, but I couldn't place where I had seen the expression before. "Really?"

I nodded. "I was brought up on fairy tales called things like, Cinderella and Snow White."

Olivia smiled at me. "I like those, Mummy used to read them too me. She was like you."

I frowned. Ginny over hearing the conversation explained. "Louisa was a muggleborn too."

I nodded. "Ahh, I see." I said sitting down next to Ron and Victorie and patting the place next to me.

Olivia sat down and snuggled in a little to my side. I placed an arm around her. She had the beautiful soft hair I doubted she was ever going to have my problems with wavy wild hair.

Ron read on, glancing up at me with half a smile, and started making his voices louder and more extravagant. I couldn't help but wonder if this would be our children in a few years, us all snuggled together.

3 stories later with both girls giggling away Ron declared story time was over and it must be time for them to go to bed, because he was sure it was his bedtime which caused the girls to giggle even more.

Victorie did yawn, but Olivia just took the book and started to look at all the pictures. "My book doesn't have pictures." She told me.

I looked at the pictures she was watching move across the page. "Mine doesn't either." I told her. Thinking of the copy Dumbledore had left me. "I like this one though. The moving pictures are fun."

Olivia nodded, and turned the page to look at the next one.

"Right, missy, it's time to head home and put you to bed." Bill announced to Victorie walking into the living room.

"No, no, no..." Victorie screamed and took off as fast as her little legs could carry her.

Bill shook his head. "I never learn, I shouldn't have mentioned leaving until I had her in my arms."

Fleur who had followed him in just nodded her head. "Yes, might have worked better. You have go and chase her she's on the stairs already."

I smiled at that. "How much longer to go now Fleur?" I asked looking at her stomach which extended everytime I saw her.

"A month and it feels like forever." She grumbled. "Hopefully it comes early, but Victorie came a week late."

"Did I tell you that Olivia and Victorie share a birthday?" Ginny asked suddenly.

Now that was something I didn't know. I knew she had been born around the time of the end of the war, just not on the day of the Battle.

Fleur smiled at Ginny. "Yes Molly told me. What a terrible time for Louisa to be have been pregnant. But I suppose that didn't matter, after all her and Professor Fleet weren't meant to be able to have children. Such a great loss to lose their lives only a few years later."

I always seemed to forget that Fleur had known Olivia's parents slightly from her school days. The statement from Fleur seemed to make Ginny freeze though and her relaxed face for the last half an hour was replaced by the one she wore most of the time around family, like she was guarded. She stood up. "Yes, I don't like to talk too much about it in front of Liv. Speaking of bed, I really should get her down it's been a big night."

Olivia handed me the book she was looking at, and smiled shyly at me again. "Thank you." She whispered before standing up and taking Ginny's hand.

"Goodnight sweetheart." I smiled back at her then nudging Ron who seemed to have zoned out after reading to the girls. "We should probably go and catch you Mum up on the wedding plans."

"What?..." He yawned. "Oh yeah, I suppose we should." He grumbled. "Do we have to stay much longer?"

"No, sweetheart I'll take you home and tuck you into bed soon as well. Would you like a bedtime story?" I ribbed him making Fleur laugh.

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Please Read and Review. It's always nice to hear what people think and it does tend to keep me writing and updating faster.

Hopefulled.


	6. Chapter 6

Well here is the next part, and from Harry's point of view. It also fully explains what he's been doing.

I don't own any of the characters etc.

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**Harry**

I sat back in the office I shared with Ron amused at Ron's constant stream of questions. "Come on mate, you're telling me that after 6 months of pretty much living with her you two never?"

"She was under my protection Ron. Of course I didn't take advantage of her." I answered for what seemed to be for the tenth time. Each question phrased just slightly differently.

Ron rolled his eyes. "Yeah, you're always the good boy, probably why you always get the good cases."

I leaned forward my elbows at my desk. "I get those good jobs as you put them because I'm single. I doubt Hermione would be happy with you pretending to be some famous witches boyfriend." I answered before sitting back up and throwing a picture at Ron. "Here, just don't let Hermione see it."

Ron's eyes bulged. "Man, she wrote my name."

I smiled. "Yeah, an autograph was the least she could do for me, after you know…" Waiting just long enough for Ron to look back at me with an expression like he was finally going to get some juicy details. "Saving her life you git." I stood up walked over to the filing cabinet to file the paper work from the case. "So what's the plan for the weekend?"

"Just hanging I think, unless you want to head out somewhere or catch up with anyone in particular." Ron answered. "How much time do we have the pleasure of your company, you know considering Mione and I live in your house." Referring to Grimald Place where we had taken up residence after the war. Redecorating it to suit our needs and enjoying the short distance to the Ministry where we had all been pulled into work almost immediately.

I shrugged. "Kingsley said I might even get to hang around for the few months. No more damsel's in distress. It will be nice."

"Mum's hanging out to see you. She'll be pleased to hear that. Dinner once every six months isn't enough according to her." Ron looked down at the picture of the super model witch again and grinned. "Thanks for this I'll store it with my stash."

I shook his head again. Ron had it all, and he still seemed to get spell bound by those he saw as better off. I could only wish I had what my best friend had. I knew Molly and Arthur cared for me, and tried to make him one of the family, but I also knew my presence made Ginny uncomfortable and so avoided the burrow whenever I knew she was there. There was always so much going on that I doubted anyone but Ron and Hermione had noticed this. Just thinking of Ginny made me shake his head. I really hadn't ever gotten over her, Ron finally seemed convinced I had and Hermione was just wise enough not to beat at a 'dead horse' as she put it.

The door to the office opened and Hermione backed in carrying a large pile of books and parchment. Her 'light reading' for the evening as she would call it when Ron complained that she always took work home with her.

"So you aren't going to let me take you out for dinner then if you want to get through all of that in an evening?" I asked, and waited for what I knew was coming.

She whipped around, took one look at me wide eyed and dropped everything throwing herself at me for a hug. "You're back." She cried, even if it was a little muffled.

"Yeah, he flooed in a few hours ago." Ron commented from his desk. "You're going to marry me and he's the one who gets the hug." He finished with a joking pout.

Hermione just pulled away, and I felt as if she was giving him the once over. Making sure I was alright and well fed. "I'm fine." I smiled down at her.

"I know, it's…" She shook her head and grinned. "Six months. It's been a long time."

I nodded. "It has. How is everyone? Ron's more interested in what I did and what Irena was really like." I smirked knowing I would get better information from Hermione. Irena Paterson may be America's top witch model, and I had enjoyed her company, but six months of pretending to be her current flame while on a constant watch for her life had just about been the last straw in what Kingsley called their perfect bodyguard plan. After all it was easy to convince the press that I was just once again having another high profile relationship. The Media as yet hadn't seemed to click how quickly these relationships seemed to dissolve once I had saved the woman from whatever it was she had needed protection from. Whether it be a mad psychotic ex-boyfriend, a dark wizard or just some crazed fan. This last case had been a little more detailed though and had required me to live in the US with Irena for the last six months.

Hermione stopped and thought. "Well Neville and Hannah are getting hitched next month. But you know that. Seamus and Lavender have finally stopped dancing around each other and well last I heard Dean was moving out and her into Seamus'." Hermione grinned. "Oh and Luna's got a boyfriend. He's just perfect for her."

I wanted to laugh. "I had thought a little more about the Weasley's. Not the gossip on all our old mates." I told her with a grin. "Not that I don't care, but well…." I shrugged my shoulders at her.

Ron laughed. "No your just a good boy and still don't like to admit people actually have sex."

I glared at Ron. While Hermione just nodded, stopped and thought. "Quite a bit's happened while you were away."

Ron stood up and started to gather the things Hermione had dropped. "Let's get home you can catch Harry up on all the changes later." He stated almost swapping the conversation so quickly I wanted to ask if everything was alright.

Hermione nodded. "Yes lets. Why don't we floo to the Three Broomsticks later and catch up with Neville and Hannah?" She suggested bending down to help Ron.

I just once again shrugged my shoulders. "Yeah, sounds good. Shall we pick up some Thai on the way?"

Hermione nodded only picking up half the books leaving Ron to take the rest. "It was only last week Ange and I were saying we might have to come and get you. Wait till you see Fred, he's walking, climbing and well being a complete handful."

I smiled at the mention of the baby he had left behind who had only just started to crawl. "I've missed so much, are you going to tell me Victorie is reading?" I asked as they all stepped out the door and walked towards the Elevator.

"Nah." Ron grinned at the mention of his niece. "She is toilet trained though."

I laughed. "One out of Nappies, how much longer till Fleur drops?"

"Just under month, she's even bigger this time." Hermione grinned at the thought of becoming an aunt again.

"I'll be catching up with Teddy and An tomorrow might steal him for the night if that's alright with you guys." I commented thinking now that I wouldn't mind flooing straight over there, just what had I missed doing this last job, six months was a long time in the life of a child.

"Cool, it will be great to see him, but I think Andromeda's having Olivia tomorrow so Mum can go to Gin's game." Ron rambled back.

"Who? What?" Harry questioned.

Hermione kicked Ron almost tripping him up, and then looked at me. "I was going to tell you when we got home you'll be seeing more of Ginny. The couple she lived with in France died in a car accident. She's got custody of her Goddaughter Olivia. Molly's watching her during the day while Ginny trains their living at the burrow it's easier that way."

I stopped walking trying to process what he had just been told. "That's awful." I mumbled thinking of how much Ginny had clearly loved the couple she spent more time with them than her own family. "Poor Gin."

"She's holding up. Olivia has Mum and Dad eating out of her hand already. I swear she was like lost child whose come home." Ron mused. "But her and Teddy have made fast friends. Mums had them together every couple of days for the last week."

I nodded thinking about the situation. My heart felt like it was bleeding for Ginny and her Goddaughter at the loss they had suffered. I shook my head trying to shake the feeling of despair that had suddenly over taken me. I hated how news of Ginny always made me long for her. Especially when I thought she was suffering. I had thought maybe I was getting past it, but then something like this, or seeing her again, or even her picture in Quidditch Weekly would remind me. The time in the US had removed me from it, but I wasn't even back 4 hours and this.

"She coping Harry. In fact she seems more herself the last two times we've been there." Hermione spoke the words I needed to hear.

"Let's go home and drink firewhisky." Ron stated snapping me out of it. I realised I must have worried my friends by the look of concern on their faces.

"I'm fine, I really am. I was just thinking about how hard it must be on that little girl. She's blessed to have the Weasley's." I excused myself and started walking again.

"I've got a bottle to start us off, might floo George when we get home to bring some more." Ron muttered away to himself.

Hermione just feel into step beside me and nudged me with her arm. I knew they were being supportive. I just wished my feelings weren't written all over my face.

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Let me know what you think. Please. Even though I have to admit this fic does seem to be writing itself. Whole scenes just pop into my head.

Hopefulled.


	7. Chapter 7

Well here is the next part from Harry's point of view again. It's quite fun swapping around after doing all of my other large fic in third person, being Harry's. Which you may have noticed I swapped from first to third in the last part. I have fixed it now, just a habit when writing Harry to write him third person. **  
**

Thank you for the reviews. I did promise I didn't have Harry too out of character. I always feel the real clever thing about Fanfiction is when someone is able to take characters put them in different situations and still write them in character.

I hope you enjoy this part.

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**Harry**

I woke the next morning feeling a little worse for wear. True to his word Ron had ordered George over with a couple more bottles of firewhisky and they had proceeded to all get rather drunk.

Well Angelina had turned up with an overnight bag and put Fred down in one of the spare rooms and then had a good catch up with Hermione only after she had asked me a pile of questions and told me that she hoped I had the next month off work.

Pulling myself out of bed I looked at my watch, still the one I had been given for my 17th from the Weasleys. It was already 10:30 in the morning. I groaned as the movement made my head felt even worse.

Dragging myself to the Kitchen I missed having Kreacher around to order up some hangover potion. The old House elf had passed away last year, even though he had been a grumpy old elf, Kreacher would not leave me after the war, even after I freed him and gave him enough money to live where ever he wanted for the rest of his life. Kreacher had preferred to stay and serve.

Since he had died Hermione had hired a witch to clean the house and do the laundry, declaring she was far too busy at work. I hadn't complained. It wasn't like I was home much anyway. Grimald place seemed more like Ron and Hermione's now.

Stumbling into the Kitchen I groaned when greeted by a cheerful Hermione. "Morning, I see you look about as good as Ron." She stated taking a warming charm off a plate and giving it to me along with a vial of Hangover Potion. "Get this down you. I think you will need a pick me up one as well if you're going to let Teddy climb all over you this afternoon."

I just groaned taking a seat at the table. "Yeah, I feel like crap. George and Ange still here?"

Hermione shook her head and went back to reading the large volume of wizard history she had out on the table. "They have lunch with her parents today. Ange dragged George out of here for a shave etc half an hour ago. Poor George. Ange had Fred climb all over him for half an hour before she finally handed over some potion."

I nodded, downing the potion. "Why did I let Ron talk me into that? I thought we were getting Thai and heading off to see Neville and Hannah at the pub?"

Hermione nodded and lend over taking my hand. "Because you got that look in your eye and Ron can't stand it. He still seems to think getting drunk with you and George is the way to handle upset men. When George was grieving, when Ginny told you she had someone else. It's been the way you three have dealt with things since the battle."

I nodded, and pushed away the plate of food, thinking I might vomit it back up if I ate it. "I hate that you guys can read me so well."

Hermione shrugged. "Not always, we haven't seen that look for a long time. Ron really thought you were past it."

"I am." I grumbled and lied.

"Whatever." Hermione looked back at me disapprovingly then asked out of the blue. "Can I look behind your ears?"

It was such a strange request it took me off guard for a moment and was just slightly disturbing. "Why, you and Ange want to check up that I have cleaned there in the last six months?"

Hermione smiled. "No, I've been doing research on your family history." She pointed to the large book she was reading, that was clearly very old. "It says here that the Potters who descended from the Peveralls had a mark on the heir who was to inherit the families' most prized treasure."

I thought through all the things in my families' vault. I had taken a few things out by now but not too much. "Doesn't that just go to the oldest kid or something?" I asked.

Hermione shook her head. "It says here it was something to be treated with great care and a spell was cast that would show the true heir to this item. One who had character and wouldn't use it steal for their own gain etc. It's meant to be a little triangular birth mark behind the right ear." She grinned at him. "Don't you see it's the cloak?" She stated getting excited.

I just wanted to cover his my ears at the noise she was making. "Knock yourself out."

She jumped up and ran around to where he was sitting, pulling his right ear back. "Oh, it's there how exciting." She jumped up and down. "Accio, two hand mirrors." She waved her wand.

I pulled out my wand. "Accio, pain potion." He grimaced watching Hermione almost doing a little dance.

"Oh, I wonder how much of this is in wizarding families. Do you think the Gaunt's had one for the locket and the ring?" Hermione chatted away catching the mirrors as they flew towards her. I just caught the pain potion and downed it, ducking out of Hermione's way for a second. "Let me show you." She complained.

I nodded, and sat back again. "Okay just keep it down will you." Taking the mirror she was handing me.

Hermione nodded. "Tell me when you see it." She said moving the other mirror so it reflected the no more than a quarter of an inch but clear and straight lined triangle.

"Wow." I nodded upon spotting it. "I would have just thought it was a very strange freckle."

Hermione laughed out loud. "I know they come in different shapes and often round, but square and triangle? I haven't seen any of those before."

I starred at the little mirror. "Do you think my Father and Grandfather had one?"

Hermione nodded. "That book, I dug out of the archives at the ministry. It's been there for over a hundred years. So it must have stayed in the Potter line for several generations. It went to the female line which changed the name from Peverell." She explained.

I just shook his head like it was all a bit much the two potions I had taken were finally working. "Hermione, why are you looking into my family history?"

I saw Hermione turn a little red in the mirror I was holding and turned to look at her. She just shrugged her shoulders and went to sit down again. I waited to she was once again seated across from him. "Mione?" I asked slightly more serious.

She glanced up and cleared her throat. "You told the Prophet last year that I was the only one you would let write your biography." She paused. "I've been looking into things just in case you really wanted me too."

I raised his eyebrows. "I don't really no." I commented before getting up. "But thanks for finding out about the mark. I'm guessing that means I'll have to check behind my kids ears when I have some."

Hermione nodded. I could tell she was a little disappointed by my refusal as I left the room. It wasn't that I meant I didn't trust her I just didn't want any more information out there on me. There was enough as it was, even if most of it was a load of crap.

I took a shower and unpacked a little. Then gave Ron and Hermione some presents from America. Hermione quickly got over her disappointment from this morning when I presented her with two large volumes of magic History and Law in America. Ron was just very happy playing with his model Quidditch set which was made up of miniatures of many of the world's top players who you could make your dream teams with and actually set up a game and play it.

I joked that Ron might have to share it with Teddy later on, and had burst out laughing at the look of Horror Ron had sent back at him, and how quickly the set was packed up and moved into Hermione and Ron's bedroom for safe-keeping.

I then headed out and Apperated to the Tonks' house. Smiling to myself as I knocked on the door. I couldn't wait to see Teddy, I knew the little boy would probably squeal with delight at the sight of me and throw himself at me with his hair turning bright blue with glee.

It took a few minutes before Andromeda opened the door, and gasped at the sight of me. "Oh, your back." She said pulling me in. "How are you?" She asked planting a kiss on my cheek before calling out. "Teddy you won't believe whose here."

I could hear some giggling down the hall, and sure enough Teddy poked his head out of his bedroom and looked down the hall, and gasping before dropping the toy he was holding and taking himself off at full speed towards me propelling himself the last few steps into my waiting arms, while chanting. "You're back, you're back. Don't ever go away again. Please." The last word drawn out.

I hugged the little boy to myself in almost wonder at how much he had grown before I noticed another set of eyes attached to a little head with dark Auburn hair looking around the door frame from Teddy's room.

I lowered Teddy to the ground and bent down to his level. "Hey, you've got a friend here. Are you going to introduce me?" I asked. Already guessing the very pretty little girl must be Olivia.

Teddy nodded, and took off again to grab the little girls hand and drag her down the hall way. "Liva." He said. "This is Harry. He's my Godfather."

I noticed the little girl's large eyes, and guessed she wasn't quite as outgoing as Teddy. So I smiled at her. "Hey, I hear your living with my friends Molly and Arthur."

Olivia's eyes went even wider and she nodded her head. "I call them Gran and Grandad." She said quietly.

I nodded. "I think that's a very good thing to call them."

"Molly's amazing with her." Andromeda joined the conversation again. "Can I get you a coffee Harry?"

I nodded. "Yeah that would be great." Then turned back to the kids. "So what are you two up to today? I hope your being good for your Nana Teddy."

Teddy nodded then frowned before admitting. "We weren't so good this morning, we fought over the broom."

I tried to look serious. "Oh dear. What happened in the end?"

"Nana took it off us I'm not allowed it back for a few days." Teddy pouted.

Olivia nodded looking like she was about to cry. "I like the broom. Teddy didn't want me to fly on it."

"That's because that's all you do when you come here. I want you to play with me." Teddy complained.

"She's a natural on that toy broom Harry, you should see her I would be worried if it could do anymore than fly a foot off the ground. She would be doing loops in the air." Andromeda called out from the Kitchen. "Right kids why don't you eat your lunch while Harry and I have a catch up, I've just finished, making it."

Olivia and Teddy ran off the Kitchen and I followed them at a slower pace. Pulling up a chair at the table near where the kids were already climbing into their seats to wait for their lunch I had to smile at the way Teddy seemed to look after his new little friend. Helping her pull the chair out before climbing in to one on his own.

"They're the best of friends until it comes to that broom Harry. Then they fight like anything." Andromeda said as she put down some plates of sandwiches and fruit in front of each of the children then returned to the Kitchen for their pumpkin juice.

Teddy frowned then looked at Harry. "We fought over it on Thursday as well."

"Oh, that's not too good is it?" I questioned then looked at Olivia. "Don't you have a toy broom to play on at the Weasley's?"

Olivia shook her head. "It's alright though." She answered. "I have lots of other things."

"She has girly things." Teddy said like he was a little disgusted by it.

"Well Teddy she is a girl." I explained with a smile. "Do you like Dolls?" I asked.

"No, she likes books." Teddy complained again. "And soft toys."

"Books are a very good thing to like Teddy. They can teach you all sorts of things. Hermione just found out something interesting in an old book this morning." I shook my head, books and stories didn't hold too much interest for an energetic three year old boy. "Are you saying Nana didn't read you any of the books I send you from America?"

Teddy stopped and thought. "I like stories at night before I go to bed."

"Uncle Ron says Aunty Hermione reads all the time." Olivia stated.

"That's pretty much true." I wanted to laugh at how much children pick up.

"She does, she takes books with her where ever she goes." Teddy stated very knowingly then looked at Harry. "Can I come and stay at your house tonight?"

"If it's alright with your Nana, then you can come to the Weasley's for lunch with us tomorrow." I answered looking at Andromeda.

"Fine with me, Molly said game over or not she would be back at four to collect Olivia." Andromeda answered.

Teddy looked excited. "Will Victoire be there?"

Harry and Andromeda smiled at each other. Teddy ever since he had first seen Victoire as a baby had adored her. Well was fascinated with her. Ron reckoned it was the part Veela in her. "I imagine so." Harry answered his Godson.

Olivia looked up at me. "Are you a Weasley?" She asked, clearly confused.

I could imagine the poor girl getting confused by everyone. I shook my head. "No, I'm just Ron's best friend. My parents died when I was even younger than you. Molly has sort of adopted me over the years."

"So you're like Teddy and me?" She asked. I just nodded.

Looking at the little girl who had so recently suffered the same loss I couldn't help but feel for her. But it was something more than that also. Like a strange connection was there. Something about her almost called to me. Shaking my head I just put it down to the fact she was also an orphan or that fact she was now cared for by Ginny.

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Please read and review. It's always nice to get some feedback for the time I put in.

Hopefulled.


	8. Chapter 8

****We are now back to Ginny. Thank you for the reviews. I do have to say this fic is sort of writing itself. Even though a few things change as my head processes story lines again.

The characters other than Olivia are not mine, blah, blah. As if any of you thought they were.

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**Ginny**

I finally flooed home after being forced to have a few drinks to celebrate with my team. With all of them telling me that I trust Olivia with Mum every day. Another half an hour away from her wouldn't hurt. They all thought I was amazing taking on a three year old child when I was only just 20 years old myself. I often wondered when they were praising my actions just what they would say if they knew the truth.

Dropping my bag at the bottom of the steps I heard voices in the Kitchen so knew that's where Mum; Dad and Liv must be but stopped just outside the door way when I heard his name.

"Oh, Arthur it was so good to see Harry. I do wish he didn't have to go away so much." Mum was exclaiming. Have to go away my cynical brain screamed. More like ran away with the next bimbo he saw. Mum carried on. "He's taken Teddy home to stay the night, and is coming to Lunch tomorrow with him. Just think we will have all the family together."

I'm sure my heart dropped. Teddy was with Harry. Had he been at Andromeda's while Olivia was there? Of course he had, where else would Mum have seen him unless she stopped at Grimald Place. Something she rarely needed to do, Ron was always coming back to the Burrow a couple of times a week for Mum's cooking.

"Hey." I said walking into the Kitchen.

Olivia looked up from where she was playing with a soft teddy and smiled at me. She still seemed to be adjusting to all the changes around her, and the loss of Louisa and Andre, she was much too quiet now days. "Hi Ginny." She said before looking back down.

I walked over and plopped down next to her on the floor before picking her up and pulling her onto my knee. "How was your day with Teddy?" I asked.

She snuggled a little before answering. "Fun, he has a Godfather named Harry." She told me.

"I know." I answered her.

Then she looked down. "Teddy and I got in trouble this morning for fighting over the broom again." She announced looking a little ashamed of herself.

"Andromeda had to take it off them in the end." Mum half sighed from where she was starting dinner. "But Harry had some strange game of magical creatures going when I turned up. The kids were having a ball."

I nodded. Not really wanting to think about it. He may be the reason I had Olivia in the first place but he was also the reason I had to give her up. "So you had fun?" I asked Olivia.

She just nodded. "Harry doesn't have any parents either. He's just like Teddy and I." She told me, snuggling a bit more. My heart lurched slightly. Yes those she knew as her parents had gone, but parents. Well she still had two.

"Sometimes bad things happen Olivia. But there is always plenty of love in the world to go around." Mum stated. "Harry, Teddy and you all have all of us to help you and love you."

I held Olivia closer to me. Wondering for about the millionth time in the last few years where I would be now if she had been born a day later. When I knew she would be safe. I could have returned with her, no matter the shock to my family and Harry. I could have been her mother all her life and she wouldn't have to be grieving now.

Dad put down the paper he was reading and looked down at Olivia and I on the floor shooting me a slightly understanding smile but changed the subject. "Good game today Ginny, you must be pleased getting so many points?"

I nodded. "Yeah, it does help when we win." I wanted to roll my eyes.

Olivia glanced up at me. "I want to fly like you when I grow up." She announced. "I want a toy broom."

"I'm sure you will be a great flyer." I hugged her again. There was little doubt in my mind that she would a natural on a broom, it was in her genes. "As to a toy broom, we'll have to wait and see what you get for Christmas." I liked the idea of getting her something she really wanted.

I worked hard to ignore that I was going to see Harry with Olivia for the first time today at lunch. I had worked hard to not think about it last night during dinner, as I put Olivia to bed, and as I tried to read after that. I also tried not to think about it during breakfast this morning and here I still did not want to think about it. But I was failing terribly.

It had pretty much consumed me. Along with that small part of my brain that told me he had a right to know the truth. While the other part told me he wouldn't care and was probably going to run back to Irena Paterson after the weekend.

What I wasn't prepared for was seeing Harry walk in with Ron and Hermione while Teddy ran ahead of them screaming for Olivia while almost tripping every few steps as he struggled to carry a long package.

Harry just hugged my Mum and Dad. Dad saying something confusing about being glad to see he was safe again after such a tricky trip. But I was distracted by Teddy exclaiming from the living room where he had clearly found Olivia. "Liva, I brought you a present, I did, I did."

Then Bill laughing. "Wow, little guy you're going to trip over carrying that thing."

"He's so excited. Let's go and see her open it." Ron clapped his hands.

Hermione nodded. "He hasn't let go of it since we left the shop. He even held it while eating an ice cream asking every few minutes if it was time to go and give it to her yet. I think Victoire might have some competition for Teddy's heart."

Ron pushed past me, but Hermione just grabbed my arm and pulled me with her. I turned but not before I realised Harry was looking at me, with almost pity on his face. I've never liked people pitying me and lately I had had too much of it from everyone else around me due to Louisa and Andre's deaths. Pity coming from Harry wasn't something I wanted or needed.

Entering the living room we were just in time to see Olivia pulling the wrapping off the package to reveal the Toy Broom she longed for. My heart sunk. There went her easy Christmas present.

"A broom, a broom. I have a broom." She squealed.

"Wow, what a lucky little girl you are." Bill smiled down at her.

Victorire frowned. "I want a broom." She announced.

"You have one at home." Ron reminded her. "I brought it for you." He grumbled.

Victorire pointed at the package. "Liva's is red. Mine's blue."

Harry had walked into the room, and smiled at Olivia still holding and staring at the packaging like she wasn't sure she really had it. "Now you can take it with you when you go to Teddy's. Then you two don't have to fight and drive Andromeda crazy." He commented ruffling her hair before turning to greet Bill and Fleur with a hug.

"That's very sweet of you Harry." Mum grinned from the door way where she and Dad had followed us in before heading back to the Kitchen to work on lunch.

Olivia spotted me, and dragged the broom over. "Ginny look what Teddy brought me?" She smiled. "Open it?" She asked.

My mind swirled with the fact Harry would have paid for it. They weren't cheap. Who did he think he was buying expensive things for a kid he had only met the day before?

"I can see that." I bent down to her. Part of me wanted to make Harry take it back, but I couldn't do that to Olivia she was so excited to have it. "Shall we take a look at it?"

She nodded her little head, half trying to break into the packaging.

"I would say that was a hit." Hermione smiled. "So much for thinking she was going to be a book worm like me."

A few minutes later Olivia was shooting around the tight living space, managing to dodge everything and everyone.

"Wow, Mum's right she's a natural." Ron laughed as she flew past him. I couldn't help but agree.

"Liv, I don't want you to hit anyone. Why don't we put the broom away until after lunch?" I suggested. Being the good little girl she was, she slowed down and dismounted before handing it to me. "Thank you." I said before leaving to put it in a closet.

"I knew she would like it. I did, I did." I heard Teddy announcing.

I spend most of lunch trying to look normal, while fighting internally. Percy even after his comments last week had hugged Harry and introduced him to Audrey who I had to admit looked a little star struck to be actually meeting the great Harry Potter.

Harry chatted away with everyone. Even telling some funny stories about differences between America and Britain, like the first time he had been asked if he wanted Jelly on Toast. Ron asking why on earth someone would want that, before Harry went on to explain that they call Jam Jelly and what we call Jelly they call Jell-O. Ron as per-normal exclaimed they must be mad.

But I hadn't seen Harry with Teddy for so long it struck me just how good he was with the little boy. With all the children really, I watched him bounce Fred on his knee, so George and Angelina could eat. Making crazy little faces at him, and avoiding the fact that all Fred really wanted was to play with Harry's glasses.

Olivia tugged on my sleeve. "Can I play on my broom after lunch?" She asked.

I couldn't help but smile at her. She had been so good about putting it away. "Yeah, how about we head out to the meadow then you can't hit anyone."

She beamed up at me. Before stuffing some more food into her mouth, I often wondered just where she put it all being so small.

Lunch was soon over and as everyone spread out Olivia reminded me of my promise, and I liked the idea of escaping the house for a little while so retrieved the broom for her and we headed out to the meadow without anyone probably even noticing we were gone.

Olivia was soon flying through the trees with such grace I realised I might have to lock up all the old brooms and my good racing one because I would hate to think how high she could get on one of those. Thankful the toy ones were charmed to only go a foot off the ground and that the area needed to be flat. There was no lift in them to go up hills.

I heard some foot steps behind me, and turned to see the person I wasn't ready to talk with. I doubted very much that I would ever be ready.

"She's a natural on that thing alright." He said stopping beside me to watch Olivia then glancing at me before saying. "I was sorry to hear about your friends. It must be hard on you and Olivia to lose them."

"We're coping." I answered.

Harry just nodded. "It wasn't easy for me when Remus and Tonks died either. But I had Andromeda to care for Teddy. I know you have your parents but I still admire you taking her on full time."

"Thanks." I answered I hated when he was nice to me. It just made me feel worse. Like the realisation I had the first summer after the war when he was so clearly trying to get my attention. I couldn't be with him ever again. Knowing I had this knowledge that I couldn't share with him until Olivia was 17. It had been easier to walk away to pretend I no longer cared. Well the truth was, there was a part of me that didn't care, that angry little part that always screamed 'why did you have to go and get yourself killed?' But there was also that other part. He was my and always would be my first taste of love and that never really seemed to die in my dreams of what if? No matter how many women he went through. Also I hadn't been very nice to him over the years. It was easier to keep my distance.

Harry turned and looked back at the burrow. "I just wanted to say, if you ever need anything you just need to call." Blast him for being so nice. The worst of it being that he really would have meant it. After the war it turned out he was richer than any of us had ever imagined and that wealth just kept growing due to royalties of toys and things that had his name on.

The spitefulness fired off a little at that comment. "Thanks for the broom. But you should have asked. I wanted to get her one for Christmas." I half spat at him.

But Harry didn't get angry. He just looked a little shocked. "Sorry, I didn't think." He said before heading back to the burrow.

I was about to call out and apologise when Olivia whizzed up to me. "Did you see me, did you see me?" She asked excitedly.

I bend down to give her a hug. "Yeah I did sweetheart, you'll be a great chaser someday just like me."

It must have been what she wanted to hear because she beamed at me before taking off again. Standing back up I saw Harry watching me, but as soon as I turned his way he turned around and walked back to the burrow shoulders slumped. Leaving me with a great internal battle.

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So let me know what you think.

Hopefulled.


	9. Chapter 9

We we go for the next part and here you get a fare bit of background. So I hope those of you who want it are happy. It does confirm things.**  
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**Ginny**

I had felt even worse when Olivia and I had arrived back inside to find Harry had already left to take Teddy home. Hermione saying we had just missed them, but Harry wanted to get Teddy home early so he could sit down and read some paper work Robards and Kingsley had sent him this morning. It didn't seem to matter what he did Harry was always the golden boy accepted back straight away into work.

But I still felt bad and that feeling didn't really go away. He was back, here in Britain. I had no idea how long for. No matter how much I reasoned that Olivia didn't even know I was her mother. That no one but my parents and Minevra knew. I couldn't help but feel I should at least give him some warning.

I couldn't sleep for it all running around in my head. What if one of my brothers noticed Olivia toes? If Mum told Ron it was some guy in the village and he told Harry? Well I imagine I would be getting a visit pretty quickly. Harry wasn't dumb. But somewhere during the night I must have finally fallen asleep because I dreamed of the night she was created.

_It was Harry's 17__th__ birthday. I had wanted to give him something to remember me by. But after that kiss in my room, I just felt it hadn't been enough. I loved him so much and he was going to leave me. Well he had already left me by calling off our relationship. But well I just couldn't seem to accept that. After all he was my dream come true, my knight in shining armor. _

_I had been starring out my window listening to Hermione sleeping in the cot near my bed. Our house was full to over flowing with the wedding tomorrow and I was feeling a little closed in. Then I saw him walking through the garden towards the meadow just taking a stroll in the middle of the night. Something inside me screamed that this might be my last chance to ever be alone with him. I knew they were heading off soon Hermione had even grabbed all of Harry's presents this morning and told him she would pack them._

_I snuck out of my room and crept downstairs grabbing a bottle of firewhisky on the way. There was so much in the house for the wedding I doubted anyone would notice one bottle missing. Following the path Harry had taken I found him lying in the middle of the meadow star gazing. _

"_Thought you might want to end your birthday in style?" I said standing over him waving the bottle of Firewhisky. _

_He looked at me, well starred almost like he was trying to memorize my face. Sitting up, he patted the grass beside him. "Why not, it might even be the last birthday I have." _

_I sat down heavily on the grass. "Don't talk like that." I scowled the comment having sent shivers up my spine. _

_Harry just shrugged. So I handed him the bottle of Firewhisky, he took a few swigs before almost choking. I just laughed taking it back off him and having a swig myself. "I think you need some practice." I said handing him back the bottle. _

"_Probably." Harry sighed taking another drink. _

"_So what did Ron yell at you this morning?" I asked, feeling a bit better. _

"_He was right to." Harry commented handing the bottle back. "I'm sorry for kissing you." _

_I was quite taken aback by the comment, and took another drink before answering. "You know. I'm pretty sure I kissed you, you know it being your birthday present and all." _

_Harry half smiled. "Yeah, but I broke up with you. I shouldn't have kissed you back." He stated looking at the ground and picking a few pieces of grass to play with. _

"_Are you saying you didn't enjoy it?" I asked feeling rather cheeky and a little more confident from the firewhisky. _

_I was sure I could see Harry blushing even in the moon light. "Of course I enjoyed it." He mumbled. Grabbing the bottle back off me and taking another drink. "I wish it wasn't like this." He said catching my eye as he handed the bottle back. _

_I nodded taking another drink myself. "Yeah, life does kind of suck at the moment." I stopped and looked back at him. "I wish it wasn't like this either." I placed the bottle on the grass next to me, and moved a little closer to Harry. I knew it was probably going to hurt me more later on but I couldn't help but want to push my luck. For a few moments this morning during that kiss I had forgotten we weren't together anymore, I had forgotten about the war, the wedding, everything other than the fact I was once again in his arms, once again feeling the passion running between us. Passion was something our relationship certainly hadn't been short of. _

_Harry looked into my eyes and I could almost read the battle going on in them. "Ron's going to kill me." He said before I felt his lips on mine. _

_It didn't take long for us to be on the ground together, enjoying the feeling of light summer clothing. It sure bet our school robes as far as hands wandering. It also didn't take long for there to be more clothes on the ground than on us. _

_There hadn't been much talking other than when I pulled him on top of me. He broke away asking. "Are you sure?" I could see he was struggling with his stupid noble pride. _

_I only answered. "Please." _

_It was when it was over, and I lay there feeling wonderful despite the slight pain that Harry pulled me closer, buried his head into my hair and made it all feel wrong by saying. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. We shouldn't have done that." _

_Harry and his stupid nobility, my famous temper snapped. I pulled away from him. "Don't you dare." I yelled searching for my clothes. "Don't call what I just gave you a mistake." _

_He at least had the decency to look a little horrified. "I didn't mean it that way. I just meant it shouldn't have been like this." His arms waving around. "Out here, in the dark, on the ground." He shut his mouth and pulled his pants up which had never totally come off, sat up and looked ashamed. "Not when I can't promise you anything." _

"_We're at war Harry. What can anyone promise someone? Even Bill and Fleur, they know they might not come out alive, but they are spending what time they have together." I raged at him. _

_He looked up at me, hurt. "I have things to do Ginny. I can't spend every moment with you. I have a job to do." _

"_But you can spend it with Ron and Hermione. Don't worry I get it." I spat at him.__ Realising__ that he was going to leave me anyway, it didn't matter what we had just done. I dressed as quickly as I could, trying to keep my cool, but failing terribly. I could feel him watching me. Just as I finished he stood up, and placed a hand on each of my shoulders. _

"_I don't know how this is going to turn out. But I'll try and come back for you." He said. _

_I couldn't even look up at him. "Don't bother." I spat before turning and running toward the house._

_I felt so. I don't know what I felt. I had done this. I had followed him out here. Hell I practically seduced the guy, and I'm pissed off because he didn't worship me afterwards, saying that he wasn't going anywhere now. That he was never going to leave me. He wouldn't have been my Harry if he had done that. Hell he wouldn't have even been my Harry if he didn't feel bad about the fact we had just given each other our bodies in the middle of a dam meadow. _

_But the next day was busy and then he was gone. _

_It was three weeks later that I__ realised__ my normally cloak work body might be a week late for some other reason than stress and the war. It was due really to the fact I could no longer fit any of my bras properly well they felt tight and uncomfortable. _

_I locked myself in my room and worked the spell. Pink for pregnant, blue for not, I chanted in my head waiting for my wand to light up. When it did I dropped it. _

_I had only just turned 16 by a few days. The only Weasley girl in generations and I was pregnant out of wedlock and the father, well he was on the front page of the Prophet everyday labeled 'Undesirable Number One'. _

_I still wonder four years later where I found the guts to. But I turned to my old house Professor. Maybe it was the fact she wasn't as close to my parents as say Tonks. I owled her and the next thing I knew I was in her office confessing all. _

_You can imagine she wasn't too impressed with Harry or me but she could see clearly that this child I carried needed protection at any cost. _

_It still amazes me how she pulled it all off and so quickly. I had been due to start Hogwarts in a week but I was instead in France, having a crash course in French. While being ever thankful that McGonagall agreed with me. The less people who knew about this the better, so for most of my first year there I had a fake name and wore a glamour charm each day to hide my stomach. _

_It was a hell of a shock for my classmates to find out after the battle they had been at school with a Weasley who must know Harry Potter and that their quiet shy classmate was actually outgoing and a great Quidditch Player. I had actually enjoyed my last year of school. Playing Quidditch and coming home to Olivia each day. _

I woke on Monday morning feeling terrible. The dream had made me toss and turn, and every time I managed to doze off it would come again. I hadn't thought too hard about that time in years. But now I had to admit to myself all of this mess was pretty much my fault. Who was I now to muck up Harry's life even more than it had been over the years by announcing he was the father of a three year old?

I rushed to get Olivia dressed and myself ready for the day. I must have looked a little ragged as Mum asked over breakfast if I was feeling alright.

Her and Dad accepted my excuse. It's really easy after you've suffered a great loss to make everyone think that your moods are due to that and to that alone.

Flooing into the Harpies Stadium Changing Rooms I was surprised to find half my team and the reserves gossiping in the corner.

"Why do you think he's here?"

"I thought he was in America with Irena what's her name?"

"I don't know, but I know I just saw, the Minister of Magic, Ginny's brother Ron and Harry Potter enter Gwenog's office."

My head shot up at the last line. "What? They're here as in right now?"

Two of our younger reserves giggled. "He's so dreamy." Another one sighed.

Till Lucy, one of my fellow chasers elbowed them. "Girls, come on he's like a brother in Ginny's family. It's bad enough she has to put up with his posters in some of your lockers." She stepped over to me. "So do you know why they are here?"

I shook my head. "Nope. Sorry. He doesn't exactly share his work with me."

He didn't share anything with me now days, except the odd family lunch.

Gwenog's head came around the door. "Girls, dressed and in the conference room. Five minutes." She barked at us and everyone scattered to their own lockers.

I was half way through changing when asked by Josie one of the reserves. "Do you, well do you know if he's single? You know being back here in England."

I must have glared at her because Lucy and my other fellow chaser Janet gasped. "He likes his privacy doesn't he Ginny?" Janet commented more than asked.

I nodded. "So much so I have no idea. Does that help?" I shot back telling the truth. I really did have no idea. The thought hit me with a bang, and almost knocked me over. Whoever Harry dated…..well they could at some point end up being a step mother to my child. I felt suddenly sick and took off for the toilet.

"I didn't mean to upset her." Josie huffed.

I could hear Lucy following me. "She looked a tired before that. She's probably just got a bug." I heard her comment just before I lost my breakfast down the toilet.

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So please let me know what you think. It's always lovely to have feedback.

Hopefulled.


	10. Chapter 10

****Thank you for the feedback and the fact more and more of you want to be alerted each time I post. Ginny is slowly admitting things to herself. But she has a long way to go.

I don't own any of the characters.

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**Harry**

I hadn't slept well on Sunday night. I had felt bad about buying the toy broom for Olivia. I had just wanted to do something for the little girl, and Teddy, well he really had thought it was all his idea and had no idea it was an expensive inappropriate gift.

It really didn't help when I got home to read the file that had been owled to me that morning. I really had to say even if it looked like it would keep me home for the next six months it was probably the last job I needed. Hermione and Ron had pretty much begged me to take something close, so that I could be around for the lead up to their wedding but this was a little too close….

I had shaved the next morning and gotten ready for work, slipping into my Auror Robes. If felt good to have them on again. I so rarely got to wear them when I was undercover. Well I suppose you couldn't call it under cover. More just a really good high profile act and so far we had been lucky. None of the women involved had exposed me. One had threatened to a year ago until Kingsley had pointed out it might lessen her profile with men if it was found out I had never actually dated her.

Heading down stairs I found Ron looking at the folder I had been sent. Clearing my throat I asked. "I'm pretty sure that read private on the outside?"

Ron finished his mouthful before looking up. "It did, but I got an owl this morning." He threw me a piece of parchment. Sure it enough it said, 'Catch yourself up on what I send Harry. Kingsley.'

I nodded and sat down. "I think I shouldn't take it." I said then nodded at Hermione who placed a coffee in front of me.

"Why." She asked. I could tell from the question that Ron hadn't filled her in.

Ron glanced at me. "It's tricky, but, well…." He looked back down. "I would feel better if you were on the case rather than not."

I nodded. The thought had entered my head that if I didn't take it we might not know what was going on, and that would probably drive me just as crazy as taking it. "The threats are against the whole team. I probably don't have to pretend to date one of them." I thought out loud.

Ron shook his head. "I don't know. I doubt they want it public. They seem to be heading for the playoffs."

Hermione turned from where she was looking in the fridge. "Wait, am I hearing that someone is threatening the Harpies?" She asked.

Trust Hermione to figure it out that fast.

Ron nodded. "Gwenog's been getting letters for years, but they've just turned a little more sick, and explicit on how they want to do away with each member of the team." Ron turned a little green as he glanced over the copy of the letter he was holding.

I imagined I had turned the same colour when I read it last night. He placed it down and looked at me. "They're threatening Gin." He mumbled.

Hermione walked over and grabbed the piece of parchment glancing over it before sitting down herself and turning pale. "That's….well…" She started then stopped. "Sick." She finally finished. There wasn't much more to say.

Just remembering what they wanted to do to Ginny made me feel ill.

Ron huffed. "Well, there's nothing to it then. We're just going to have to find the scumbag who is sending these letters and poisoned one of the players after the game on Saturday."

Hermione's eyes went wider. "They actually managed to do something?" She asked. "Why haven't the team been warned earlier?"

"They had all stayed at the stadium for a few drinks after the game on Saturday. One got hungry and Gwenog told her to have the filled roll she had left in the fridge. The player got home alright, but then her Husband had to floo her to St Mungo's an hour later." I explained running my hand through my hair probably messing it up even more, this was normally the kind of mystery I jumped at. But seeing Ginny everyday wasn't about to help me. "The healers picked it up straight away, and reported it to our department. We've been keeping an eye on the threats but until now they haven't ever come to anything."

Hermione nodded thinking about it all. "Are you sure this is a good job for you though? They aren't going to make you date one of the girls around Ginny are they?"

I sighed. That was one thing I had been worried about and wouldn't find out until we meet with Robards to be briefed this morning. "I don't know. It doesn't matter really I'm in the bad books with her again. Apparently she wanted to buy Olivia a toy broom for Christmas."

Ron eyes went wide. "She didn't have a go at you did she? I mean your family that what Uncles do buy gifts."

I shook my head. "No, just a well placed comment."

Hermione sighed. "Well I still think it was very sweet. Olivia loved it."

I glanced at my watch. "Crap, I better eat some toast and get going. You ready Ron?" Jumping up to quickly make some toast with my wand. It was always faster and still amazed me after years that I didn't need a toaster if I had my wand.

Ron nodded his head at me. "Yeah, I read the brief and I think I've read as much as I can take of the sick letters before I lose my breakfast." Ron leaned down and kissed Hermione adding. "You have a good day love. I'll let you know if we are going to be late."

Hermione just smiled at him. They really were a little sickly when they weren't fighting. "That's fine I have enough to do at work." She then lowered her voice and I heard her say to Ron. "Watch Harry on this one won't you?" I wanted to roll my eyes. But Hermione had said on Saturday I had that look in my eye again, so I suppose they were going to watch me and I just had to get used to it.

It had been a busy start to the morning but we had managed to work out that with the whole team being threatened that going under cover wasn't going to work. Something I was most pleased with. It would seem very odd if I was undercover but trying to protect the whole team.

Plans were made to brief Gwenog and the team, then secure the girls homes with protection wards, monitor the Floo Network and place anti-apparition wards over the whole Stadium.

I had to admit the one thing I did like about the plan was that I got to be in the air while they were practicing. I hadn't flown at all while in the US and it had been far too long. The idea of flying around the Harpies and watching them practice seemed pretty great to me. That was if I could keep my eyes away from Ginny I had always loved watching her on the broom.

Ron was thrilled to be assigned to the case with me. Even though we were only really being given the duty of protection during training and games detail while another team were going to be doing the research and detective work. It was called light duties after my last assignment and I wasn't about to complain. I could see Ron wasn't about to either. He may not have spent too much time with his sister over the last few years but that protective streak was still there so appreciated the chance to be on the ground during the case.

Meeting Ginny's captain had been entertaining. She was a tough take no crap sort of woman whose love of Quidditch and her team reminded me a bit of Oliver Wood or Angelina when they were my captains at Hogwats. Heck Angelina still tried to look after me now much to George's amusement.

Gwenog and Kingsley seemed to know each other better than I expected. Which explained why he joined us to brief her, I didn't normally have much to do with him now days other than to keep him informed when I was on an international protection detail due to international magical relations. Gwenog had even grumped at Ron and I saying she would prefer female Aurors. Kingsley just laughed and said if her girls couldn't stay focused while there were males around that was her problem, and how did she handle them when they were actually playing if they were that easily distracted.

We were shown into the conference room to be greeted by the whole team and reserves looking at us. I had to admit I still hadn't gotten used to people looking me up and down trying to access weather what they had read about me was true or not. You would think it wouldn't bother me anymore with how many high profile cases I had done over the last couple of years. But no, I still didn't really enjoy the spot light. Glancing around I found Ginny looking at me with one eyebrow raised in a question. She didn't look too pleased with me, but it was a look I had gotten used to from her over the last few years. What I would give to see her carefree, feisty personality again.

"Girls, we have some visitors. I'm sure you recognize our Minister of Magic Kingsley Shacklebolt and Aurors Weasley and Potter." Gwenog started. "As you know some of our fan mail isn't from fan's, and can be a little threatening, which is why it's all checked before being handed on. Over the last few months we have had some increasingly disturbing letters." She explained. Then sighed, placing her hands on the table in front of her. "Casey isn't at practice today due to the fact she was poisoned by eating one of my left over rolls from the fridge on Saturday after the game. She's currently recovering in St Mungo's."

The gasps around the room were audible and clear.

"You mean they broke in here? Or what?" A tall woman next to Ginny asked.

"That we don't know just yet." Gwenog answered. "We have the full support of the Auror's behind us. They were already monitoring the letters." She looked at her team moving her eyes over all of them. "We will get through this. We are just going to have to change the way we do a few things. I need you all at the top of your game so you are going to listen to the advice we are given and be sensible. Do you understand me?" She cautioned the team.

"So do we all get our own personal Auror? Can I have Potter." One of the clearly younger team members asked causing quite a few giggles and a few groans along with a couple of. "Hey, no fares." Making me turn beetroot in color I was sure.

Ron just laughed out loud, nudging me with a silly grin on his face. Kingsley even cracked a smile, but he then took over from there. "No. Sorry about that. We don't quite have the man power for that, as much as I'm sure Mr. Potter would love to escort you everywhere." He nodded at the younger team member who had requested me. "We are at present looking into the situation. Mr. Weasley will set new wards and protection around the Stadium today while you train. The Guards you have on staff now will be briefed by him and Mr. Potter will be in the air with you making sure the perimeter is safe. There will be a larger team here this afternoon after Practice. You will have a personal Auror take you home and check the wards around your homes and brief you on safety practices for youselves and the others who live with you." Kingsley paused and glanced at me before looking back at a few faces who had looked at me keenly interested. "Sorry ladies. Mr. Potter will not be a part of that detail. Miss. Weasley your brother informs me that the wards at the burrow are have been kept high since the war, so you will not have an escort home this afternoon. I'm sure you know how to watch yourself as well." He paused for a moment before adding. "Aurors Weasley and Potter will be here each day while you train and at your games. We have another team at work tracing the letters and the poison. If there are any questions Potter and Weasley will be able to answer them I am needed back at the ministry." He finished with a nod of his head adding. "Remember to be safe ladies." Before he nodded his head and Gwenog and placed a reassuring hand on Gwenog's shoulder before leaving the room.

The truth of the situation seemed to have sunk in for some of the members who were looking rather shell shocked. But others seemed to still think it was an adventure.

"Is Casey going to be alright?" One asked.

Gwenog nodded her head. "Yes, her Husband caught it on time and got her to St. Mungo's. But it could have been a lot worse she won't be back for a few weeks. We have emptied the Kitchen of food. New supplies are being stoked now."

Ginny was extremely quiet. While Ron and I dealt with the questions, and comments that were thrown around. I would have imagined her to burst out with comments like how they could all look after themselves. But she just seemed to stare at the table till she looked up, and glanced at me before looking at Ron. How sad is it that I kept watching her in a crowded room of woman to even notice her glance before she turned her eyes on Ron. "What about our families?" She asked. "I have Liv." Her eyes quickly flitting to me and back to Ron again her almost quiet question stopped the conversation.

The tall witch next to her placed a hand on her arm in comfort. "I doubt they will touch a kid." She told her.

Ron leaned on the table and caught his sister eye nodding at her before saying what I had wanted to scream out. "Harry and I won't let anything happen to Olivia, Ginny." What was it about that little girl that had clutched at my heart?

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	11. Chapter 11

Here's the next part. Yes I know Ginny should tell Harry, and soon. Which I'm getting her to that place in her mind. But I also have a few other things planned. I really believe that Ginny struggled alot with the fact she couldn't tell Harry about their daughter, and convinced herself she couldn't be with him due to the secret. Almost grasping at reasons not to admit that the whole thing hurt her, not only had she given up Olivia she felt she had to give up her dream of a life and family with Harry. So it was much easier to convince herself that he wasn't the man she loved any longer.

I don't own any of the characters etc.

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**Ginny**

I had gone from thinking a few days ago I didn't have to worry about Harry for a while to him being a part of my everyday life. The thought of any of my team being in danger had made feel sick. But when the realization that those threatening us could go for our homes and families hit me I almost felt like throwing up again making me wonder if I would have been better to stay in France with Olivia once more.

Ron had promised straight away that he and Harry wouldn't let anything happen to Liv, but that didn't really ease my mind. I was unique to the team. Quidditch wasn't something woman returned to after having kids. The injuries could knock you out for weeks at a time after all. Not that my team knew Olivia was mine, but they respected the fact that she was in my care now.

I think I went through the mornings fitness and drills in a bit of a daze. Gwenog yelled at me to get my head out of the clouds a couple of times. Luckily I wasn't the only one she yelled at. Most of our younger players and reserves had to be reminded to keep their eyes off Harry circling above us. He was still a natural on a broom, the latest firebolt and him moving like one.

Entering the break room for lunch I sat at a table in the corner still trying to process the fact that Harry probably wasn't about to run off out of my life again anytime soon. Glancing up I saw him blushing at something one of the girls had asked him while my idiot of a brother just burst out laughing again. The blush surprised me. I knew Harry had never been overly comfortable around woman when we young, but surely he had gotten over that. I mean he seemed to always have a high profile witch on his arm.

Lucy slid in next to me. "They ordered this rubbish in from the Ministry café, so it was safe." She frowned at her food. I had to agree with her, it was a little too fatty and was going to sit heavily in our stomachs while we took to the air for a practice game this afternoon.

I nodded taking a bite of the Shepherds pie. "Not half bad through. Nothing on my Mum's but…" I shrugged my shoulders.

Lucy nodded at me, taking a bite herself then looked over at where Harry sat. "He's different than what I thought he would be." She questioned. "I suppose I'm just a fool for reading to many gossip mags. He's not at all the smooth ladies type. That blush is adorable."

I nodded my head at her thinking I used to find it adorable as well, but well I wasn't quite sure what to make of it now. "He was never very comfortable with the spot light." Thinking to myself I seemed to be just as guilty when it came to Articles on Harry. "I hadn't even seen him since Christmas till yesterday and that was briefly just before I portkeyed to France."

Lucy nodded her head. "I suppose it goes like that in big families sometimes."

"Yeah, I must admit living back at Mum and Dad's means I'm seeing a whole lot more of them all." I shook my head. In the just over a week I had been back I'd seen more of them than I had for a whole year before that.

Lucy smirked. "Yeah, I know that feeling." Clearly thinking about her own three sisters. "So you reckon any of the girls have a chance with him?" She changed the subject back to Harry. "I thought we could start a bet."

I just rolled my eyes. All the while thinking that was the last thing I needed Harry dated one of my team mates. "I would prefer not."

"Yeah, I suppose it's like two parts of your life colliding." She mused. Leaving me to think she had no idea at all.

The afternoon had gone quickly Lucy, Janet and I working smoothly together to get over 150 points on the board before the reserves even got one through a hoop. Then I blamed our keeper. She had been watching Harry. When pulled up on it, she just pointed to our seeker and seeking reserve. "I reckon he's seen the snitch about five times while they just muck around." She shrugged her shoulders.

"Probably." I answered back. "He's always been good on a broom, and don't let the glasses fool you, he's always the first to see the snitch."

Gwenog who was one of our beaters, a position I felt she used and enjoyed a little too much when she was frustrated by a player. They often ended up with bludgers flying their way. Looked up at Harry. "Oi. Potter." She yelled out. Causing Harry to turn and fly down towards her.

"Everything looks good from up there." Harry said pulling up next to me.

"Have you seen the snitch?" She asked.

Harry looked a little horrified. "I've been watching the perimeter." He answered in what I imagined was his professional voice.

"That wasn't what I asked." Gwenog spat at him. Everyone seemed to have gathered around us now. "I asked have you seen the snitch and how many times?"

Harry shrugged and sunk a little lower on his broom glancing at our seeker and their reserve. "Three." He answered.

Gwenog scowled looking at her watch. "You have 15 minutes girls to find that snitch. You're professionals, and an Aurors spotted it three times while not even looking for it." Harry looked apologetically at the girls before taking back off to fly the perimeter again. Gwenog yelled. "Resume play then hit the showers. We have 40 minutes till the Auror's are here to accompany us home."

By the time I flooed home and stepped out at the burrow feeling…..I'm not even sure how I was feeling really. Other than the fact that watching Harry today had surprised me pleasantly really, he hadn't changed as much as I thought he had. Ron had organized all the Auror's that had accompanied the rest of the girls home making me quite glad I didn't need that sort of attention while Harry seemed to have disappeared. Probably afraid that one of the girls would insist he take them home to place the wards. It helped being part of a family that respected their privacy after years in the lime light after the war.

Dusting myself off I dropped my bag at the base of the steps and headed for the Kitchen.

"Oh Harry, it's so nice to have you home finally." Mum was saying and I felt like screaming. That's where he must have disappeared to straight after our practice.

"It's nice to be home, and have an assignment that doesn't make me pretend to be someone I'm not." He answered back quietly.

Mum nodded her head. "I'm not happy that there's trouble for Ginny's team. But I'm sure with you and Ron on the case it will be fine."

I poked my head around the door slightly wondering where Olivia was. But she was sitting in Harry's lap, eating a biscuit with a hot cup of milk next to her. Great, just wonderful I thought in anger at first, but then I melted a little at the sight, she looked so comfortable there, and Harry, I suppose it came from spending so much time with his Godson but he was a natural.

My mother leaned across the table and patted his hand. "It's about time you stopped taking those assignments all together and found someone nice to settle down with. I worry about you." She said with clear concern. Well at least she didn't seem to like his choice of girlfriends either, no matter what she had told me off for saying the other night. But her next words confused me. "I mean it's not like you can meet someone when they have you pretending to date all those silly girls just so as not to draw attention to the fact they need extra protection around the cloak." She chatted away, with a shake of her head.

Pretending? Extra Protection? What? My mind tried to keep up. Harry just shrugged. "It hasn't bothered me really Molly. I suppose it would if I was with someone. But well there just hasn't really been anyone that's turned my eye." He answered then tickled Olivia. "This one's probably going to turn everyone's eyes when she reaches Hogwarts. Imagine her and Victoire there together." He smiled down at Olivia who was giggling in his arms. "You're beautiful aren't you?"

She just stared up at him with big eyes then answered spitting the biscuit slightly. "Yep."

Harry just laughed wiping his hand on the cloth Mum quickly conjured up for him while Mum said to Olivia. "Don't talk with your mouthful. That's not lady like at all."

"It's fine." Harry shrugged, placing Olivia to sit next to him. "I'm going to drink my tea and I don't want to spill it on you as it's hot." He explained.

Olivia shrugged and pulled her warm milk closer to her. "It's alright I'm going to draw a picture." She told him. "Then when Ginny's home I want to play on my broom again."

Mum smiled indulgingly at Olivia. "She loves that thing. Even though flying through my sheets while I hung them on the line this morning probably wasn't the best idea was it Olivia."

Olivia nodded her head. "I got caught." She explained to Harry.

"Oh, how did you manage that?" Harry asked her amused.

Mum shook her head clearly a little amused herself. "I have no idea how she did it, but the corner of one was wrapped around one foot, and another around her other leg. The broom held her in place though, or I imagine she would have ended up on her head."

Harry laughed out right at that, making Mum chuckle a little. I even had to smile myself. Olivia just drunk her milk and muttered. "It wasn't that funny." That's my girl I thought. She can stick up for herself even at three years old.

Harry just roughed up her hair a little and said to her. "Don't worry, it will just teach you not to touch Grandma's clean sheets from now on. Ron told me once he had to clean out the Hen house for touching them with dirty hands when he was little."

Olivia's little nose wrinkled up as she looked up at Mum. "I don't want to clean the hen house." She declared.

"Don't worry dear you're a little young for a big job like that just yet." Mum just smiled at her.

I thought I better make my presence known. "Hey guys." I said entering the room then looked at Harry. "You checking the wards here are you?" I asked trying to distance myself a little. Yet from all I had seen of Harry today I couldn't help but think he hadn't changed at all.

Olivia climbed out of her chair and raced over to give me a hug. I picked her up, reveling in the feeling of being able to come home to her each day.

Harry shook his head at me. "I will check them, but no. I just had a date with your Mum that's all."

Mum smiled at me. "I always make him come and have afternoon tea when he gets back from a long time away." She announced. "I don't have time for a good catch up when all of you are around. Have to make time for each of you." She explained. Something I knew she did with all of us kids. I just didn't realise it included Harry. I should have, clearly he had been a part of my family for such a long time. "Would you like a cup of tea?" She asked.

I nodded taking a seat at the table keeping Olivia on my lap. "So you handled my crazy team for the day?" I asked him, telling myself to relax a little, I had spent years having walls up whenever it came to Harry. But I was discovering so much today I almost wanted to know for sure that he hadn't changed like I had convinced myself he had. Maybe, just maybe it might not be the worst thing in the world if he found out he had a daughter and I had to share her with him.

Harry blushed a little even at the question. "They're a forward lot aren't they?" He answered.

"They are a little excited about having you around yes." I answered him, wondering how many phone numbers he had been slipped today. I had even noticed Lucy looking him up and down at one stage.

Harry's hand went through his hair like it always did when he was a little embarrassed, then rubbed at the back of his neck. "You would think I would be used to that crap by now." He mumbled, glancing up at me, then down to Olivia, and shook his head. My heart almost stopped. Could he see something there? No one else had mentioned any resemblance. "You're good with her. I've always thought you'll make a wonderful mother." He said then blushed even deeper like he hadn't meant for it to come out at all.

I think I must have gapped at him for a moment before Olivia jumped off my knee and pulled on my hand. "Take me out to fly, please Ginny, please." She tugged.

Shaking my head I stood up. "Sure baby." I answered her, and let her drag me out the back door glancing back at Harry in confusion, before turning away.

I heard Mum saying. "You're so sweet Harry." Then calling out. "Ginny what about your cup of Tea I just made?"

I didn't want a cup of tea I wanted time, to think. I watched as Olivia grabbed her toy broom from the back step where she had clearly left it after the sheet incident and followed her as she climbed on it and took off towards the meadow. My mind racing through all I had just witnessed. Harry didn't date all those high profile, rich, modeling type witches? He had been on assignments? Which relationships I thought he had had over the years were real? Not only that the comment about me making a wonderful mother. Merlin, it was all a little too much and my heart was melting even more.

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Please Read and Review. Thanks for those who get alerted everytime I post, I would love to hear from you all at some point as well.

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	12. Chapter 12

****Well here is the next part. From Hermione's point of view this time. Yes I agree that Ginny should tell Harry. But lets face it, its a pretty huge thing to tell someone and she hasn't exactly really talked to him in a long time. As to how Harry finds out, I have that all planned.

Thank you so much for a reviews and people who want to be alerted. It's nice to know what people are thinking. So if you could take the time to write a couple of lines I would love it.

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**Hermione**

I was surprised and pleased to see Ron walk into my office at a much earlier hour than I had expected him. "Wow, I thought you and Harry would be working all hours on this one?" I questioned him.

He just shrugged at me. "Harry's got light duties so to call them. We're on protection detail for practices, and games etc. Another team's on the detective work. I just picked up the brief from today's work for Harry and I to read tonight."

"So you get an easy detail because Harry deserves one?" I teased him.

Ron just smiled at me. "Yep, even though I have to deal with the guards and check the wards on the stadium, control the floo. It's Harry who gets to fly circles around the girls while they practice, securing the perimeter."

"So you're complaining about being on the ground, not having too much paper work, working less hours and getting to hang out with your bestmate all day?" I questioned. "I was under the impression the guy I was marrying would love a role like that for a while."

He walked around and perched on the desk to face me. "Yeah, it's not too bad. Got to have a few laughs at Harry today there's a few girls on the team very interested in getting to know him better." He smiled at me. "He still blushes like a girl when someone flirts with him."

I smiled at that comment myself. I loved how all the fame hadn't changed Harry. Yes he had finally accepted he was famous. Even used it to help capture dark and evil witches and wizards, but he was still our Harry and came home to us. "How was Ginny with both of you there?"

Ron just shrugged. "Focused, didn't talk to her actually, other than her asking if Olivia was safe."

"She loves that kid, that's for sure." I mused. It was almost like Ginny had traded us all in for her life in France she was so attached to couple she had lived with, well defiantly their young daughter anyway.

Ron just nodded, leant down and kissed my head. "How long are you going to be?" He asked.

I looked up at the clock. "It's only 4pm at the least another hour or two." I answered. "Why don't you and Harry do something?"

"He had his date with Mum this afternoon. Poor guy he's probably getting the same lectures about looking after himself that you and Ange have already given him." He half complained.

I smiled at the thought. Harry had come to a place finally where he just seemed to accept and enjoy us fussing over him. "Just go home and watch a DVD or something." I suggested. "Didn't Harry bring some new ones home with him?" Harry and I had finally managed to charm a TV to play muggle DVD's without blowing up due to our magic in the air. We had to dismantle the TV receiver as that appeared to be what picked up our magic but just plugging in the DVD player seemed fine along with a surge protector.

"But you or Harry won't be there to explain things too me. I just don't get what's real and what's not in those things." He grumbled again. Which made me smile and nudge his leg as it was true. We had attempted to take Ron to a few movies over the years, but he was terrible at talking through them.

"Go down to the shop and annoy George then." I came up with another suggestion. "But the longer you keep your butt on my desk the longer it's going to be before I get home. You could always go and cook Harry and I a nice dinner." I added on just to get him to move, he was a worse cook than I was.

"I'm leaving, I'm leaving. I'll go and see George." He leant down and kissed me, more deeply this time, breaking off when I had just about decided to stuff work and head home with him straight away. He just grinned down at me, knowing exactly how much he had distracted me before heading out the door. "Catch you later." He winked just before he disappeared.

"Just remember I'm popping over to your Mum's to show her some fabric samples for the wedding." I called out after him. He just grunted. I could almost hear him muttering down the hall. 'I just want to get married. Stupid wedding stuff is taking over my life.'

I flooed straight to the burrow when I had finally finished at work, trying to focus my brain from the legal documents I had been reading back to the wedding. Ron and I had talked about it last night and decided that we also needed to now include Olivia as a flower girl. She was basically going to be our niece from now on, and I didn't want her feeling like she didn't quite fit in after losing so much in her young life.

Stepping out of the fireplace, and dusting myself off, Olivia's head poked around the side of the door and looked me up and down. "It's Aunty Mione." She called out before stepping in to look at me with wet hair and her Pajama's suggesting she had just had a bath. I loved the fact that both her and Victoire seemed to miss the start of my name whenever they added Aunty in front of it.

"Hey there, did you have a good day?" I asked her.

She nodded and gave me a little grin. "I've been flying on my broom." She announced like it would amaze me. Which considering how excited she had been to receive it, I would have been surprised if she hadn't.

"Cool." I answered her back. "Where's Gran?"

"Mum's in the Kitchen. We're just about to eat, do you want some?" Ginny asked coming into the room.

I shook my head. "Knowing Ron and Harry they won't eat anything unless I go home and cook for them." I shrugged then took back my words. "Actually I lie. Harry will cook for us if he's hungry. It's just Ron who will be sitting at home wondering if he should floo here before he dies of hunger."

Ginny smiled at my comment a relaxed grin on her face that reminded me of when we used to tease Ron together when we were younger. "Maybe I should set a place for you then, you know if he will be here in 5 minutes." She quipped back.

I winked back at her, and headed to the Kitchen. "I'm just dropping off something I promised you Mum. But I did want to ask you and Olivia something." I placed the samples I had brought over on the table. "Hey Molly here's the fabric samples." Giving the woman who was already like my second mother a kiss on the cheek.

"Hello dear. I forgot you were coming over or I would have made Harry stay and you could have all had dinner." She fused away, picking up the swatches of fabric I had put down.

"Yeah, because Ron and I haven't eaten here four times in the last week and a half since you arrived back." I almost laughed at her.

"These are beautiful Hermione. You will look a dream in this Champagne colour, is my eyes or does it almost change colour." She asked touching the silk that was going to make up the main part of my wedding dress.

"I must be my eyes as well because I keep wondering that. But it will have a deep royal blue trim, to go with Ron's robes." Then paused and pointed to the blue silk. "This is the fabric I want Victoire and Olivia in." I added without thinking.

Molly gasped and grabbed my wrist. "Oh, I was so hoping you would ask her as well. I didn't want to say anything, but well…"

"She's family now." I smiled at Molly, reckoning Ron and I just gained some pretty big points in her book.

"Exactly." Molly gushed taking a seat and fingering the fabric again, as Olivia and Ginny joined us in the Kitchen.

Olivia climbed into a seat next to Molly. "Pretty." She said reaching over the touch the blue fabric that Molly was still looking at.

"Isn't it sweetheart." Molly nodded her head leaning over to kiss Olivia's dark Auburn hair, and then looked up at me.

I nodded, bending down next to Olivia. "I was wondering…..Well Ron and I were wondering if you would like to wear a dress made out of that fabric at our wedding and be a flower girl like Victoire?" I asked her.

Her eyes went wide, and then she touched the fabric again, before looking back at Ginny. "Can I, can I be a flower girl?" She asked excitedly.

Turning to Ginny I was surprised to see her wipe a few tears from her cheeks. "Of course you can baby. Say thank you to Hermione though."

Olivia did more than thank me she threw herself out of the chair she had climbed onto into my arms. I just gave her a large hug, before letting her go again where she climbed back into the chair and Molly let her have the fabric samples.

"I better head off and see what's happening out our house. If Ron's even made it home he was heading to see George a few hours ago. I'm really hoping George hasn't convinced him to try new products today. Last time he came home with his cheeks showing red hearts every time he looked at me." I shook my head in amusement at the memory.

"Do I want to know why?" Ginny asked.

I chuckled before answering. "A new Wonder Witch product, so girls can find out if a guy likes them or not. Slip them the potion and love hearts will shine on their cheeks whenever they look at the witch they like."

Ginny threw her head back in laughter. "What if the poor teenager is lusting after half a dozen girls?"

"Angelina and I have pointed that out, but George still says it's a best seller." I answered. "I'll catch you all later." I half waved as I headed back into the living area to floo home.

Ginny followed me. "Hermione, thank you, it really means a lot to me that Liv will be a part of your wedding." She said, almost sounding a little emotional again.

"It's nothing." I shrugged my shoulder. "How did you go having Ron at practice today?"

"It was fine. A few of the girls are awed by Harry." She answered me.

"Yeah, he gets that a lot. Poor guy." I told her.

"I can imagine….but, well I overheard something between him and Mum today, I was wondering if you could tell me? Has he actually been undercover all this time, not really dated those models etc?" She asked almost nervously looking at her feet before glancing back up at me.

I wanted to tell her everything, I had always wanted Ginny to know the truth, but she just hadn't seemed to care enough to worry about Harry at all. Infact her comments the other week about him running off with whoever he was dating was the first direct comment I had heard her make about him in years. She never asked where he was if he wasn't at a family function. She literally just didn't seem to care. "Ginny, that's a need to know issue with Harry. You're going to have to ask him." I answered her hoping there was enough in the way I phrased it, that she would guess she was right.

Her shoulders slumped a little. "It's just today, seeing so much of him. I suppose I'm realizing he hasn't really changed that much." She half mumbled.

Figuring Ginny out these days was far too confusing my head half screamed. "No, he hasn't changed much at all Ginny. Essentially Harry is the same as he always was." I paused looking at her. "It was you that changed." I took a chance saying it. But she was going to be my sister in law, and at one stage was the closest female friend I've ever had. I placed a hand on her arm. "I've missed you, I miss our late night talks and someone who knew Ron so well but didn't mind if I wanted to kill him."

She smiled slightly at the last line, looking me in the eye. "I'm sorry I've missed you as well." She said clearly meaning it. "But could we work on it?"

I couldn't help but hug her. "Of course we can."

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	13. Chapter 13

Here is the next part, we are back to Harry. Thanks for the reviews and reading. I love hearing what you think. **  
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**Harry**

It didn't' take me long to get into the swing of things with guarding the harpies. I really enjoyed the time in the air, and I think if Gwenog had her way I would be instructing the seekers on a few things. She was forever asking me how many times I had spotted the snitch.

Ron despite having a good laugh at me fending off some of the more forward girls was being extremely professional in his role, but so far there hadn't been anything to worry about and the team member who had been poisoned was well on her road to recovery.

Yes some more letters had come in, but nothing like the one that had clearly been a little more descriptive about what they would like to do to Ginny before they took her life. Just thinking about the contents of that letter still made my stomach turn a little green.

I got my lunch and sat down at a table in that Harpies break room, Ron joining me a moment later as the girls streamed in from freshening up after their morning drills.

Ron nudged me. "So how many have slipped you their addresses and contact details now?"

I groaned a little. "None after the first two days." I answered him. It was the end of the week, and I think the younger girls on the team, well the more forward ones had realised I wasn't looking for a 'Good time' with one of them.

I heard the chair across from me pull out, and looking up I was surprised to see Ginny taking the seat. "Thought I would save you from the more flirtatious ones today." She commented with a shrug of her shoulders. "We sort of have an unwritten rule around here that they don't swoon over you when I'm around." To say I was surprised was probably an understatement. But she had been at least acknowledging me this week. Even giving me the odd nod or smile.

The tall girl Lucy sat down next to Ginny, and smiled at me. "Hey, so what stories can you tell me about Ginny when she was younger?" She asked Ron and I with a mischievous grin on her face.

"Lucy." Ginny complained.

Ron just shrugged his shoulders. "Nah, I'm still scared of her Bat Bogey hex." He muttered before taking another bite of his sandwich. I had always hated that Ginny and Ron had grown so much apart. I mean I know they always fought and she hated him playing the big brother role in her life. But they had always been there for each other when it came down to it as well.

Ginny had just raised her eyebrows at his comment while I just decided to jump on in. After all it wasn't like I had anything to lose, and just seeing Ginny practicing this week, her quick fire temper, the protectiveness of her team and the way she was being so great about the fact her life had turned upside down due to Olivia made me wonder what had actually changed about her other than the fact she pushed us all away and clearly decided she wasn't at all interested in me. "She was quite good at making singing cards when she first started Hogwarts." I paused to watch her blush at me for the first time in I didn't even like to think of how long it had been. "I can't say the songs were always the greatest. But they did give me something to smile about whenever I ended up in the Hospital wing."

Ron snorted. "Or that stupid Valentine she send you." He mumbled before taking another bite of his sandwich.

"I was young, foolish and well it was my first crush." Ginny muttered away still slightly red, but starring at me as if she was trying to work me out.

Lucy just sat back and smiled. "Ahh, I see. You were allowed to have a crush on Harry Potter when you were young. But heaven forbid any of the girls talk about their silly crushes on him now." Lucy turned to Ron. "She threatens them with that Bat Bogey Hex as well. So as we don't have a game tomorrow. We're having drinks tonight you blokes going to stick around? It might be nice to have some males here."

Ginny half glared at Ron for the mention of the Valentines card she had sent me in my second year. I certainly wasn't about to tell her I had found it again in my sixth year after realizing I had feelings for her and it was now tucked away in the bottom of a chest somewhere at Grimald Place.

"Nope, we're busy tonight. Some other poor blokes are going to come in and watch you girls." Ron answered reminding me that Neville and Hannah were shutting the Three Broom Sticks for the evening for a DA reunion something they did at least once every six months. It normally got quite out of hand.

I glanced at Ginny again. When they had started she was still in France finishing her last year at school, and she had always found an excuse not to attend the first few when she started training with the Harpies. Neville had eventually just stopped asking her. "You should come with us. It's a DA get together. Just a chance to catch up and see what everyone's been up too."

Ginny's eyes popped. "Must have missed my invitation." She commented.

"Neville stopped sending them to you, you never show up anyway." Ron muttered, seemly not caring that he wasn't being very brotherly in front of Ginny's team.

"The famous Dumbledore's Army I've heard those things rock. My friend went to one when she was dating Seamus… I think that was his name. She had a great time. You should go Ginny." Lucy sat forward looking like she wanted to be asked as well. "Too rub shoulders with the rebels and honored fighters of the battle." Lucy almost sounded like she was thinking of somewhere in heaven.

Ginny just rolled her eyes at her friend. While I wanted to invite Lucy myself, just to prove to her, we were all normal people. "I'm not sure, it's not like I had a huge part in it or anything. I wasn't even at Hogwarts that last year." Ginny answered but there was something about the way she said it, that made me think she was telling herself she wasn't worthy of being a part of our group anymore.

"But you were there when we started and you fought in the Department of Mystery's with us and when death eaters broke into the school." I counted her. "Come along. We don't bite. The others would love to see you."

Ron glanced up at his sister. "Hermione wants you to come. She told me to tell you this morning. But I didn't think you would be interested, you never are." He finished with a shrug and once again took a bite out what I was sure was his 3rd large sandwich.

"You were part of Dumbledore's army before you went to France?" Lucy asked Ginny. "Wow, I never realised."

Ginny just shrugged. "I'll have to check Mum can have Olivia. But I might come." She answered looking at me with a question in her eyes, one I couldn't work out for the life of me what it was.

"Mum's not going out she's having Fred for the night." Ron told Gin. "George and Angelina always book her in as soon as they know the date. Even though this one is short notice we were waiting for Harry to get back."

Ginny just nodded, while Lucy started to pepper Ron and I with questions about our last few years at Hogwarts. She had been in Percy's year so we hadn't known her at all.

I sat down at a table with a butter beer, taking a long drink before putting it on the table in front of me. Dean slid into the chair next to me and Seamus on the other side each holding a firewhisky.

Seamus raised his eyebrows and wriggled them a couple of times. "So, Mr Potter, what's she really like?" He asked smirking at me.

"I just want to know if she's willing to introduce two your oldest friends." Dean paused pointing to himself and then Seamus. "To any of her modeling friends."

I smiled to myself. This had happened a few times over the years. The boys were always disappointed I didn't turn up with someone they wanted to meet on my arm. "Sorry boys, she's not really in my life anymore. I assume you're talking about Irena, and we're not back talking about Isabella again." Mentioning one of the girls I had protected a few years ago whom Seamus had covered our walls during sixth year with pictures of.

"Of cause Irena what happened? She get sick of you hairy arse?" Seamus winked at me.

"We parted as friends." I joked back.

"You always do Harry, which makes me wonder if you're giving them what they want in the you know…." Dean nudged me with a wink. "Bedroom, this friend's line is just a way to say they're not satisfied." He finished with an almighty burp.

I glared at Dean slightly before taking another drink. His comment would have probably gotten to me a bit more if I couldn't clearly see that him and Seamus had probably downed a whole bottle of Firewhisky before arriving. Hannah was probably going to end up levitating them up the stairs to sleep it off again at the end of the night.

The door opened and Seamus whistled when George and Angelina walked in with Ginny who was looking a little unsure of herself. "Well, well, well, look what the cat dragged in." He almost drooled.

"She's looking mighty fine. You know I always get the blokes going at work when I tell them I dated her famous Chaser of the Harpies." Dean puffed out his chest looking strangely like an owl then they are proud of themselves.

"Yeah, but Harry here dated her after you." Seamus nudged me with his elbow. "I reckon he got further than you. She used to swoon just looking at him."

Now they were starting to piss me off a little. I watched as Hermione jumped up and ran over to give Ginny a hug. Something I hadn't seen Hermione do for years. Then Luna stood and waved Ginny over to introduce her to the bloke she had brought with her.

"You know what. She really is the Quidditch Queen now us blokes should be giving her the proper welcome." Seamus stated climbing up to stand on his chair.

Dean followed, and then glanced down at me. "Come on Harry you know the song." He grumbled before I almost had to cover my ears at the terrible rendition of 'Weasley is our Queen.' Being sung above me, it didn't take long for everyone to join in though, and by the last verse Ginny was bright red. Hannah just patted her on the shoulder after placing a butter beer in front of her.

Neville held up his own butter beer to Ginny at the end of the song and said. "To Ginny, living her dreams in the air while we all keep our feet on the ground." Everyone cheered, and downed the last of their drinks. Seamus and Dean walking over to engulf Ginny in a hug that lifted her off the ground.

I had to admit I loved this crowd. Other than Ginny hardly anyone missed any of these get togethers. It was a chance to relax. I especially liked the fact that no matter what happened I didn't end up in the papers the next day.

"So you're back." I heard a female voice behind me, then saw Katie Bell slip into one of the chairs the boys had vacated.

"Yeah, got back last week." I answered her. Taking another drink, while I checked her out with my eyes, it had been almost a year since I had seen her. Angelina told me it was still too raw for her to come to our last get together just before I had left. "How have you been?" I asked, not sure I totally wanted to know. I had broken her heart after all.

She sighed, looking at me intently for a moment. "Not too bad." She shook her head, glancing at me again. "You know for someone who got dumped so you could pretend to be dating someone else."

I put my butter beer down on the table and took her hand. "It wasn't like that and you know it. I…..I just…"

Katie nodded. "I'm just being nasty. I know your still not over Ginny and that's the reason you broke it off even if it has been years now."

"Katie." I groaned I hadn't known she knew that.

"Ange explained. It's nothing really. It actually helps, knowing you know how I feel in some sort of twisted way. Maybe we should start an unrequited love club." She finished trying to make a joke.

"Maybe." I tried to smile at her. I had hated hurting her, but what had started out as fun and someone I felt I could be myself around had turned into her wanting more, and me just not being able to commit. Ron and George had been annoyed with me for what they called mucking her around for too long. Funnily enough it had been Ange that really understood. Was disappointed but understood. I suppose they all had visions of the six of us growing old together with our kids. Well maybe eight if you threw in Lee and Alicia who were currently swinging around the dance floor in some sort of crazed pattern. I stood up pulling on Katie's hand. "Come dance with me, I'm still crap at it, but I promise to try and not step on your toes."

She smiled now, and rolled her eyes at me before standing as I tugged on her hand. "Ahh, but I'm allowed to stand on yours." She warned kicking one of her feet behind her so I could see her sharp heels. Causing me to laugh out loud.

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	14. Chapter 14

Thanks everyone for your reviews. I have to agree with the ones that Ginny has had a pretty rough time of it all over the years. I will explore things and background stuff a little more as I go on. No Katie wouldn't do the whole nasty ex-thing I personally hate those. I just wanted to put in a bit that Harry had tried to move on and felt bad it didn't work as Harry would, he does tend to take the blame on himself for everything. It has been 3 and a half years after the battle. By the way I've set this fic in October which makes it past Harry and Ginny's birthdays. Ginny is 20 and Harry 21.

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**Ginny**

I had been amazed at how pleased everyone seemed to see me. George and Angelina had been surprised when I asked to go with them. But Mum had pretty much pushed me out the door declaring a night out with friends was probably just what I needed.

George had then muttered some comment about it being hard to call people your friends when you never saw them. But Angelina had smiled with a slightly questioning look and warned that it could get quite out of hand.

It hadn't taken me long to know just what she meant. Walking in I had barely registered all the different faces looking at me in the bar when Hermione ran over and hugged me before dragging me over to where Luna was excitedly waving to us.

The next thing I knew Dean and Seamus were standing on Chairs across the pub singing 'Weasley is our Queen.' It actually warmed my heart as everyone joined in and then Neville raised his butter beer making a toast about me living my dreams. Hannah gave me a butter beer and everyone seemed to return to what they were doing while I was caught up in a strange drunken hug by Dean and Seamus.

Finding my feet once they put me down I shook my head at their antics. "I see you two started the night early?" I half questioned them.

"These things are for getting totally, completely and utterly drunk Ginny. You would know that if you came more often." Seamus said as he swung an arm over my shoulder then lowered his voice. "Of course there are the boring ones, but we try to ignore them." He glanced at Hermione who was now sitting at a table just over my shoulder.

"Now Ginny sweetheart, why didn't you bring any of your teammates with you?" Dean asked with a strange face that I could only imagine was meant to be a pout.

"Because boys. They are simply not good enough for you." I joked disengaging myself from Seamus' arm. "Why don't you go and find someone to dance with." I suggested dropping into the chair next to Hermione and across from Luna.

The Boys grumbled a bit but then wandered off when they realised they no longer had my attention.

"I'm so glad you could come." Hermione said, making me smile at her before looking at Luna who was studying me intently.

"Ginny you've brought your Woogal Wingles with you. They feast on worry you need to let them go." Luna eventually declared. "A few drinks normally helps though."

Something's never change I couldn't help thinking to myself. Dean and Seamus would probably never grow up and Luna would probably always be insightful while sounding completely crazy.

"Hmm, it seems Harry's have found him again." Luna added causing Hermione and I to look across the room to where he seemed to be pulling Katie Bell up to the dance floor. When Harry laughed at something she said Luna added. "Oh no, they don't look like they are going to settle that's good."

Hermione coughed drawing our attention back to the table. "Ginny this is Luna's boyfriend Rolf." She said indicating to the thin serious man with shoulder length brown hair and a Goatee.

"Nice to meet you." I had to half yell over a cheer that went up from the corner where Dean and Seamus seemed to be talking to Ron and George.

"My Pleasure." He answered reaching out to shake the hand I held out to him. "Things aren't all that they seem, maybe the worst will turn out to be the best." He said looking me in the eye.

I was about to ask him what he meant when Hermione changed the conversation to the wedding, with her telling Luna why Luna wasn't going to be wearing yellow to match Ron's orange robes, as Ron was wearing royal blue. Luna just brightened even more. "Yellow looks lovely with blue, Hermione." Luna said after thinking about it. "Oh, look there's Justin and Susan, come and meet them Rolf." She half sung standing up and walking away from the table leaving Hermione looking like she was going to explode.

I had to smile taking a long drink from my butter beer. "I suppose yellow would also go with the blue silk the girls are wearing." I nudged her.

"I love Luna, but sometimes she just drives me nuts." Hermione groaned.

I nodded, remembering the feeling. "So what's with that guy Rolf and what he said to me?"

"Oh, pay no attention. He thinks he's some sort of seer always saying strange things. You know how much stock I put in that sort of thing." She grumbled. "Don't get me wrong he's perfect for Luna. He's a naturalist as well. But well, I just don't think I need double Luna in planning my wedding."

Looking at the Dance floor the music had slowed down and Harry and Katie looked at each other a little oddly before moving into an embrace and slow dancing.

"That girl is a sucker for punishment." I heard a voice sitting at our table. Turning I saw Cho Chang taking the seat Luna had just vacated. "Really Hermione I would have thought you would have made Harry stopped stringing her along by now."

Hermione looked at the Dance floor. "He has Cho, this is the first time they've seen each other in a year. Are you jealous?"

I almost wanted to laugh out loud. I had never really liked Cho Chang. I knew it was petty and it had more to do with Harry liking her when were young than anything else, but well I suppose I still didn't think much of her now.

"I'm just saying she keeps going back for more heart break. I thought that you, Alicia and Angelina would look out for her a little more." Cho swung her hair over her shoulder standing up then looked at me. "I'm off to find Michael, we're still together you know."

I held my butter beer up in a toast. "Good on you. Is that because no one else will have either of you?"

She just huffed and walked off, Hermione almost spat out her mouthful of butter beer next to me. After managing to swallow it, she smiled at me. "I can tell you right now Michael would be out on his backside if Harry even so much as looked at her again."

I nodded somehow it wouldn't surprise me, seeing how much half my team would give to be seen on his arm. Glancing back at Harry holding Katie I looked back at Hermione. "So what's the story?" I nodded my head in their direction.

She sighed lowering her voice. "They saw each other for about a year. Of course Harry had a few under cover jobs during that time. It probably doesn't look good to someone like Cho, but no one really knew about them, other than the odd slow dance or kiss on the cheek at one of these things. Harry's very private about his real life." She turned from watching them to look at me. "About a year ago Katie asked where they were heading. I think she got a bit clucky with Fred being born." She paused again clearly thinking about it all. "We all thought it would be good, but now I reckon they were probably just going for the comfortable option. The two singles in a group, that sort of thing. Harry realised she would never be it for him and called it off. It was a good choice. It would have hurt her a lot more if he had stayed with her just because it was comfortable."

I looked back as the slow song finished. My heart clenched a little as he gave her a kiss on the forehead, and whispered something to her before they parted ways. It wasn't long till my idiot brother George grabbed Katie around the waist and claimed the next dance. Maybe I had been a little too wrapped up in my own pain, and hurt over the years. Man, I had even believed what the papers wrote about Harry. Yet I had seen just seen in his face the struggle he felt at having hurt someone he cared about.

"I didn't tell you any of this by the way." Hermione rubbed her shoulder against mine. "So anyone in your life at the moment? You've been even more secretive over the years than Harry."

I half snorted. "It's easy when there isn't anyone." I answered her. "And now, I'm a single Mum, that's going to be a real turn on."

"Don't be silly, there will be someone out there for you. Even if I did always think you would marry Harry when we were younger." She fobbed off my answer.

"Life isn't always a fairytale." I looked back at her. "But I would have liked that thought of yours when I was younger."

Hermione frowned. "One day I'm going to make you sit down and tell me about your last two years of school, and what really happened to you over there."

I nodded my head, knowing it was probably going to come sooner than later after all my secret wasn't going to stay a secret forever. "One day I will Hermione, one day I will." I winked at her before standing up to go and greet Dennis Creevey he had followed in his brothers footsteps and now took Quidditch photo's professionally and I always seemed to manage too catch up with him at a shoot every few months.

The night wore on, and the drunk got drunker, and the dancing got crazier. It all reminded me a lot of some of the wild Gryffindor parties whenever we won a Quidditch game. But this one included firewhisky and people who were a lot more confident with the opposite sex than teenagers normally were.

After being dragged around the dance floor by Dennis, Dean, Lee and even my two crazy brothers, I finally found a seat again after grabbing another butter beer off Hannah at the bar.

Neville slipped in next to me. "I heard about you taking on your Goddaughter. That can't be easy." He looked at me. I nodded at him forming my answer. Is it strange that Neville was one person I never really felt I could lie to? I had been so unsure of myself after the whole chamber thing starting my second year. It had been Neville who would encourage me and helped me find myself again.

"It's not. I miss her parents, and so does she, but its good she's with me. I would be too worried about her otherwise." I answered, looking back at him.

Neville nodded then shivered slightly. "Kids still scare me. Hannah wouldn't mind trying for one straight after the wedding. But I'm still too scared I would drop the baby or forget where I put it."

I smiled remembering just how often Neville would forget something when we were younger. "No you wouldn't. Anyway, they can cry loudly, it does make it easier to find them." I grinned at him. "The wedding's coming up pretty soon isn't it?"

Neville smiled a full faced happy one. "Yeah next month, still can't believe she'll have me." I was pleased for him. I really felt he deserved to be happy.

"She knows she's a lucky girl." I answered taking a drink and looking at Hannah behind the bar.

"I'm the one who is lucky." He said and I glanced back at him to see he was now watching her as well, his expression one of complete adoration.

I couldn't help but wonder if I would ever have anyone look at me that way. Like I was the one who lit their world, I scanned the room and found Harry not too far from me in fact he seemed to be walking towards us.

Neville must have pulled his eyes away from his fiancé and seen Harry. "Harry take this girl to the dance floor, I'm going to drag Hannah away from the bar for a dance." He said getting up and half shoving Harry towards me.

As Neville walked away, I turned back to Harry and couldn't help but joke. "I think I just got brushed off by Neville Longbottom."

Harry smirked. "Sorry he's been whipped hook line and sinker ever since Hannah finally asked him out last year."

I laughed at that. "Did she have to propose as well?"

Harry laughed. "No, Neville did that, won me 50 Galleons off Ron and George. I knew he had it in him." Harry looked around him then shrugged his shoulders. "You want to dance?"

I could feel my heart beating at just the thought and my hands gripped the butter beer I held a little tighter. But I made myself put it down. "Yeah, alright, I've danced with every other idiot it seems."

"Except Neville." He corrected holding out a hand to me.

"Ahh, but Neville's not an idiot." I corrected him, and placed my hand in his, trying to ignore the tingle that ran through me like a magical current.

Harry glanced at our hands then up at me before turning towards where everyone was dancing I followed asking myself just what I was doing.

On reaching the dance floor Harry surprised me by looking down at our hands again, before lifting his arm and twirling me around, then pulling me against him, his other arm slipping around my waist leaving me almost breathless. Especially when he started to move us in time with the music, and I could feel his breath in my hair, I felt for sure my heart was going to explode from my chest, and I closed my eyes allowing myself to just feel emotions that I had convinced myself were gone. But as his arm at my waist tightened slightly around me, and I could have sworn I heard him sigh the emotions rode over me like waves crashing into shore. How had I survived for over four years not feeling this?

"I'm sorry about buying Olivia the broom." He finally spoke almost shattering the moment.

I pulled my head away from his chest not even knowing when I had laid it there. "Don't be, I was being a cow. She adores it." I mean really Harry should have every right to buy Olivia anything he wanted to.

He nodded. "I should have asked though. She's a great kid." My emotions swirled again.

"She is. She's still adjusting, but…." I stopped, not knowing what to say.

"It's not easy, but with you she'll be fine." He told me then spun us in a circle. "Living with your families sure got to beat the Dursleys." He quipped but his voice hitched a little at the end and I knew he was wondering what it would have been like to grow up with Sirius instead of his horrid Aunt and Uncle. It scared me that I could still read him so well.

I nodded, thinking about the strangeness of the fact that Harry's daughter had suffered the same loss as he had. The memory of her waking the night before calling out for Mummy and Daddy made me shiver. More often than not she was sleeping in my bed now days. I hated her suffering it wasn't something I had ever wanted for her.

"Are you cold?" Harry asked clearly at my shiver.

"No." I said stepping out of his arms. "I think I should head home. Liv's been having nightmares." I looked at my watch realising that is was already midnight.

Harry's face turned serious and nodded. "I'll apperate with you. Just to make sure. You shouldn't go anywhere on your own at the moment." I could see what ever moment we had just shared I had broken by pulling away. He now had his Auror face on, the one that I had seen often over the last week professional and slightly cold.

I shook my head. "No, Ron can come with me. Hermione made him promise earlier. Thanks for the dance." I turned away and looked for my brother. It wasn't hard to find him. He had Hermione on his lap and they had clearly been watching us. I just had to raise my eyebrows at him, and they both jumped up walking our way. Turning back to say goodbye to Harry, I frowned on finding out he was no longer there.

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	15. Chapter 15

Thanks for the reviews. I hope you all continue to enjoy this. It's school Holidays here now so I might not be able to update as much as I have been, But we will see how I go. I hope you enjoy this part.

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**Hermione**

I plastered a smile on my face and tried to forget that Harry had vanished silently from the get together after his dance with Ginny. It was probably a good thing I told myself that he had gone to brood in private. As I highly doubted he was doing anything else. After all I had known him for ten years now, almost half our lives.

Ginny said a quick round of goodbyes, and Ron and I had a few groans from people about the fact we were leaving early as well, but I was glad to be going early. It meant I probably wouldn't have to wake Ron with hangover potion in the morning and that he wouldn't collapse as soon as we walked in the door and snore like a steam train all night. I often just omitted the fact I slept in another room when I woke him the next day after a night on the town.

"Now Ginny, you have to come next time we have one of these." Dean had slurred. "And bring some friends, you know your team."

I rolled my eyes at Dean, while Ginny just repeated the comment I had heard when she first arrived. "I've told you Dean they just aren't good enough for you."

After which she hugged Neville. I smiled on hearing she say. "I hope everything goes wonderfully next month. I'm sure you and Hannah will be very happy together."

Neville hugged her back. "We're happy now. But you should come to the wedding. We'll send you an invite." He suggested pulling away from her. "You should be there everyone else is going to be."

Ginny shrugged. "Don't worry about it Neville. I don't mind seriously."

He frowned. "Nope, not going to happen." Then glanced at me. "Hermione, can you remind me. I have a terrible habit of forgetting things." Like I didn't know that already I thought.

"Sure Nev." I smiled at him, making a mental note in my head. Maybe I should check with Hannah though before I reminded him. She might not be too keen on last minute guests, I was sure if Neville had his way he would invite anyone whom had ever talked to him.

Ron pulled away from where he was chatting to Angelina, George, Alicia and Katie. I couldn't count Lee as he was asleep with his head resting on the nearest table, with a strange smirk on his face which made me not want to know whatever Prank him and George had pulled on someone tonight.

"Right, ladies are you ready?" Ron asked. I smiled at him most of the time he was just Ron, but every now and then he would pull something out of that silly book 'Twelve Fail-Safe Ways to Charm Witches' which he hid in his sock drawer.

"Why yes sir." I answered with a smirk, linking an arm threw his.

"Let me escort you home then." He bowed his head and rolled his other arm in a fancy way that suggested for us to be leaving.

Ginny just stared at him like he had lost it before asking. "Trying to be a gentleman Ron? She's already agreed to marry you. Give it up."

Ron looked at me and sighed. "And I thought Ginny had actually gotten her sense of humor back tonight. Sorry I was wrong." He shook his head in a mock disgust. "I'll escort one lady home and just deposit my little annoying little sister back with my parents. She clearly needs to be living back with them to gain some manners."

"Whatever." Ginny poked him in the ribs. "I would just go home myself, but you and Harry seem to think I need a babysitter."

Ron looked at her like she had gone mad for a moment. "Because you do, don't be stupid Ginny, what we're dealing with is serious."

Ginny nodded her head. "So I've been warned everyday this week. Wish you had some leads, I wouldn't mind hexing the prick myself."

"Right, are we leaving or not?" I asked starting to pull Ron towards the door.

We flooed from the Burrow back to Grimald place, it wasn't linked to many floos, Harry needed as much privacy as he could get but the Burrow was always connected. Ginny had actually found her manners again after apperating to the Burrow and allowing us to see her in the door and thanked Ron. Which I was pleased about, I was enjoying the fact that I seemed to be finally finding some common ground with Ginny after such a long time, and I really wished her and Ron could get on better again as well.

"That went better than I expected." Ron mumbled as I stepped out of the fireplace after him and dusted myself off.

"Those get togethers always go well. They probably have a few more hours of drunkenness to go as well." I stated.

"I meant Ginny going." Ron looked at me strangely. "I thought you had gone mad asking me to ask her. Then Harry actually asking her. She's not exactly friendly that often."

"Well she sort of has to be now. She needs her family Ron. From what I can see her life's been nothing but that little girl's family and Quidditch for the last few years." I rebuked him. "I think tonight was good for her."

Ron rolled his eyes. "Probably not so great for Harry, even though he did bring it on himself. He's probably playing that dance over and over in his head."

I sighed, knowing Ron was probably right, but it had been a long time and I was sure Harry was in love with the thought of Ginny, more than Ginny. After all they had seen each other more in the last week than they had probably since the first summer break after the war. Maybe if they spent some time together he could realise that, and move on. "I think it's good for him." I stated my opinion.

Ron's eyes went wide. "Have you gone mad? It took us a year and a half before he even looked at another girl. Then he ran at the first thought of real commitment because of something Dumbledore said when he was supposedly dead."

"Yes, he's been holding on to that comment about him and Ginny having a family. Don't you think it's better for him to get to know her again and realise his feelings are probably just some dream that's never going to happen?" I argued back, as I also cast a silencing charm. Ron and I having a fight over Harry's sad dreams wouldn't go down to well. Even though the way Ginny had leaned into him tonight and rested her head on his chest made me wonder just what was going on in her head.

But Ron surprised me and calmed down. "You know, I think you actually might be on to something. I always thought he was mad falling for her to begin with she's never been able to hold her tongue. Her temper should be enough to put any bloke off."

I leant up on my toes wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him. I always liked it when I was preparing for a huge row, and he just gave in. It made things so much easier. Breaking away I smiled at him. "I'm impressed you can see my point of view. I must be rubbing off on you."

He raised his eyebrows. "Ever think I've finally worked out making Harry down a bottle or two of Firewhisky wasn't helping so I'm ready to let you have a go?" He asked playfully.

"Whatever." I smiled and kissed him again, wanting to forget about Harry and Ginny but still ended up pulling away. "I suppose we should go and make sure he's not finished a bottle already."

Ron groaned and lent his forehead down on mine. "Do we have to? I could Apperate us straight into bed." The suggestion was very tempting I had to admit, but shook my head and pulled away from him, releasing the silencing charm at the same time.

"Harry, we're back." I called out, wondering where we would find him. I doubted he had headed for bed straight away.

"In the living room." He called back and I smiled clearly not too much Firewhisky yet. "Come on." I said grabbing Ron's hand.

Ron mumbled behind me as he followed me up the stairs. "I know you and Harry can have a heart to heart and I'll go and warm up our bed." He suggested. I shot a warning look at him. "Or I'll be the good bestfriend and join you on that heart to heart?" He questioned.

We stopped on the landing beside the living room door. Peeking in, I was surprised not to see a bottle of Firewhisky next to Harry or even a glass in his hand. But then again he doesn't often drink alone. I turned back to Ron. "I'll give you a reprieve we are probably going to talk about your little sister after all." I whispered.

Ron's look of relief almost made me laugh out loud. He kissed my cheek whispering back. "Knew there was a reason I loved you." Before taking off up the stairs, then turning back and adding. "Don't be too long. I'm not drunk enough to pass out."

I walked into the living room and sat on the large couch next to Harry. Enjoying the comforting feeling of sitting on cushions, slipping my shoes off I placed my feet which were slightly sore from dancing on the coffee table and wiggled my toes.

Harry glanced sideways at me. "I'm sure I have a flatmate that doesn't like us doing that. In fact you look a lot like her."

"My feet hurt." I nudged him.

He nodded. "Always rules for us blokes, but she's allowed to break them. I'm telling Ron."

"Do you really want his smelly feet on your coffee table?" I asked him then smiled when he shivered at the thought.

"Point taken." He nodded. "I'm fine by the way."

"Right, that's why you disappeared without saying goodbye to anyone, especially after not seeing most of them for six months?" I questioned him.

Harry flicked his wand and the flames in the fireplaces flared higher as he seemed to watch them dance in front of him. "I know dancing with her probably wasn't the best idea. But, well I enjoyed the moment."

I nodded, knowing I already knew the answer I asked. "Are we talking about Katie or Ginny?"

Harry shrugged his shoulders. "Probably shouldn't have slow danced with either. But Katie well she seems good, still a little sore but good."

"Yeah, she's been on a few dates in the last few months. Nothings come of them, but Angelina and Alicia reckon she's moving on." I explained.

"I'm glad. I hated hurting her." Harry glanced at me for a moment, before looking back at the flames again. "But I know we're really talking about me dancing with Ginny."

"It was almost odd see you both up there, lost to the fact it wasn't actually a slow song." I tried to take a teasing note. But added what I really wanted to know. "What was it like?"

Harry continued to stare at the flames for so long I thought he wasn't going to answer me, till he sighed before saying. "Imagine you hadn't touched Ron in four years." Making me shiver at just the thought, I had even finished my NEWTS by correspondence so we wouldn't be separated after the war. Molly hadn't been happy about us living together, but well we were of age and both working for the ministry. Harry continued, probably not even noticing my reaction. I glanced at him to see his eyes closing. "It felt like heaven, and coming home all at once, she still smells the same, feels the same. We were joking about Neville before we started dancing. It…..it felt right."

I didn't know what to say, other than the fact I might have to admit to Ron my theory was wrong Harry certainly wasn't any closer to being over her. I leant my head on his shoulder. "I'm sorry life hasn't gone as you wanted. You deserved to have whatever you wanted."

Harry's head leant against mine slightly. "Unfortunately the story of love goes that they have to love you back." He answered. "Doesn't matter whether I'm Harry Potter, or what I did. Ginny clearly will never forgive me for what I did to her."

I sat up again. "It can't be just that. She knew we had to leave. She knew she couldn't come with us being underage. Not that you would have taken her anyway, her protection was all you thought about." I argued with him.

He snorted. "Hermione, I made a mistake alright." As he let his head roll back again and closed his eyes.

I frowned but let it go. We had probably had this conversation over and over again through the years. But he had never told me more than that. I decided not to push it tonight. It was late and we'd probably end up pissed off with each other. "There's some Sleeping Draught in the Potions cupboard, or at least some Draught of Peace. One or the other will probably make you sleep better." I told him before giving him a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Thanks Mum." He muttered, making me smile. I was mothering him, but well I had to agree with Molly, Harry needed people in his life to Mother him.

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Hoepfulled


	16. Chapter 16

Here is the next part, which brings out a fare bit of stuff, that I guess you've all been waiting for. I hope you enjoy it. Thank you for the reviews. It's always great to get feedback.

In answer to someone's comment about it must have been clear Ginny had just given birth due to extra weight, and larger breasts. I don't agree with this. Yes that is common for a lot of people. But Ginny had been using Glamour charms during her pregnancy, I'm sure she used them again. But also yes half the people I know are like you describe after a pregnancy. Personally after both my pregnancies once I gave birth I only carried 2-3 KG's (About 6 pounds at the most) Extra weight from when I started. I've also worked with quite a few Teen's who have fallen pregnant, and most of them don't put on the weight adults do when pregnant at all and look a lot like they haven't given birth a few days later. It was also known she had been sick, we all wear more comfortable clothing when we haven't been well, which can hide a bit of extra weight.

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**Harry**

I had actually taken Hermione's advice last night and taken some sleeping draught. It wasn't something I normally allowed myself to do. But my mind was swilling with thoughts, from how wonderful it had been to hold Ginny in my arms again to analyzing it, to doing what Hermione called brooding. That had started after she had gone to bed or I probably would have gotten a lecture instead of the understanding friend I had last night. Even though she had seemed to learn over the years to leave something alone and that she couldn't fix everything.

I woke with a slightly clearer head and wondered why I still felt this way after almost 4 years. Well I suppose it was only just over 3 years since Ginny had told me she was no longer interested in me. I had held the memory of her close the whole time Ron, Hermione and I had been on the Horcrux Hunt.

I can still remember seeing her for the first time in almost a year when we finally got to the burrow on the day of Fred's funeral. She was pale, and had grown up some over the last year. Lost her girlish looks and it was easy to tell she hadn't been well. Molly fussed over her and Ginny had just seemed too quiet. Not that I got to talk to her, she had just stayed with George. I wasn't too surprised. Ginny was the sibling that was most like the twins.

But the ministry had us so busy with trying to piece back together our world that we had really only had the day with the Weasley's before we were called out to help round up some more Death Eaters and others who had helped Tom Riddle during the war. I had been disappointed to find she had already returned to France when we called in three days later. But Molly had told us that it was good she wanted to sit her exams, and that she would be back for some of the summer. It had surprised me really. Molly was keeping a close eye on the rest of us, and fussing that we needed to be around more.

I can remember Hermione and Ron questioning it. But Arthur had ended up telling us that he and Molly felt that Ginny had been protected from the horrors of the war by the scholarship McGonagall had set up for her, and they didn't want her to have to face how bad things had really gotten for the rest of us, she was just too young they kept saying. I can still remember thinking about the reaction they would have gotten if she had heard them talking like that. My Ginny would have wanted to be at home fighting alongside her family. Not packed off the some school in another country.

Then when July finally arrived, Ron and I organized some time off Auror training which with the lack of trusted Auror's then was much more of a train on the job than attending a course situation and Hermione took time off from the legal role she was helping with just so we could spend some time with Ginny when she was home. We had already set up Grimald Place as our home but still frequented the burrow a lot.

I thought of night she arrived home. Arthur and Molly had gone to collect her from the Portkey Office, and she breezed in looking a lot more like the Ginny I loved, and I remembered thinking how beautiful she was as she hugged all her family and then Hermione. The first shock had been the fact that all I got was a slightly cold look and an 'Oh, Hello Harry.'

I had spent the next few days making a complete cake of myself trying to pin her down, wanting to talk to her, about….well about everything really. Until she had eventually turned on me and blurted out in front of Ron and Hermione that she just wanted me to leave her alone and that she was seeing someone in France. I remember coming home and just lying on my bed in shock. I mean I had thought, well hoped we had a future.

I ran my hands through my hair and grabbed my glasses from the bedside table and pulled myself out of bed. Thinking about it all wasn't helping. I had broken her heart when we were teenagers. Then I had allowed myself to get so carried away in the moment that we, hell we had made love in the middle of the dam meadow. I don't think I'll ever forgive myself for that, no wonder she didn't want anything to do with me she was still only 15 at the time.

I dragged myself to the shower, and felt a little better after it. Grabbing Teddy for the afternoon and night would help I told myself. I had promised myself when Remus and Tonk had lost their lives that I would make sure that little boy had everything. I had been blessed that Andromeda wanted to raise him. It made me a lot more of the cool uncle than a father. That thought of course brought me back to Olivia losing her parents and Ginny. "Bloody Hell." I muttered.

I dragged myself downstairs to find Hermione just as I had found her last Saturday reading at the table with a coffee in her hand and looking rather relaxed. "Morning." She said.

"Morning." I half mumbled back.

She glanced up. "You slept in did you….. Did Harry Potter actually take my advice and take something to help you sleep?" She asked in that slightly know it all way of hers.

"Yeah. Yeah." I moved past the table and looked in the fridge. Not really feeling like cooking anything I pulled out the milk and grabbed a bowl from the cupboard, and some of the muesli Hermione constantly told Ron and I we should eat more often. Filling my bowl, I grabbed a spoon before sitting at the table. "What are you discovering this week?" I asked her nodding at large book she had open.

"Oh, nothing really just some light reading on the Goblin uprising." She answered me.

"Didn't Binn's lecture us enough about that at school?" I asked her with my mouth half full. The look she gave me was one that clearly said I was being disgusting.

"No, and some of what he taught was wrong. The Goblins really haven't been treated very well." She shook her head at me. "You really should read some of this."

"Nah, I'll leave that up to you. You're the one that works in legal." I mumbled shaking my head. If Hermione had her way Ron and I would read a lot more. "Where is Ron Hung-over?" I asked.

Hermione was back to reading her book. "No. He went to the burrow to help Arthur with painting the outside." She answered. "It'll probably take most of the day."

"I'm picking up Teddy after lunch." Then looked at the time, and down at my Muesli. "I guess this is lunch."

Hermione smiled at her book. "Probably, I should be thankful you and Ron aren't moaning about headaches this morning. Maybe we should always leave those things about midnight."

"You reckon Lee and George got away early?" I asked already knowing the answer.

Hermione almost snorted. "Lee was asleep on a table when we left. I didn't envy Alicia getting him home."

I smiled as I ate. I was enjoying being home. These slightly crazy talks, with people who really knew me and about people I really knew. It sure bet pretending to be in love half the time with someone who really only thought of themselves or what they were going to wear that day. "So are you up to anything today other than reading?" I asked Hermione.

"Not if you don't stop interrupting me." She joked. "I'm actually enjoying the fact that neither Molly or my mother have roped me into wedding planning."

"More likely they looked at your list, and you've done everything you can possibly do till it's closer." I quipped back causing her to slap me on the arm.

We were interrupted at that moment by an owl tapping at the window making us look up to the little bit of natural light the kitchen got due to it being mainly underground. Hermione jumped up, and waved her wand to open the window and let the owl in. "It's a ministry one Harry." She said grabbing a treat for it before untying the parchment.

I just shoved my last mouthful of Muesli into my mouth as I held out my other hand to take it. Thinking there goes my day off as I broke the official seal which was only breakable by the rightful recipient if the letter.

I only glanced at the wording quickly before dropping it, shaking my head and swallowing my mouthful without even chewing. "No. Crap. How on earth….?" While my head screamed Ron's there, how the hell could have someone gotten through the wards.

Hermione seeing my reaction grabbed the parchment. "Auror Potter, report to the Weasley Burrow to be briefed immediately, team assembling there in response to Kidnapping." She read out loud, and started to turn pale herself. "Ginny?" She asked.

"I don't know, I suppose so. But Ron's there. He wouldn't have let her go out alone, not at the moment." I started muttering. "I'll get changed, and ready. We'll go in five."

Running up the stairs I threw on my Auror Robes, grabbed my invisibility cloak, and gear, while trying not to think of things that were in that letter Ron and I had read last week.

)))))))))))))))

Flooing into the burrow was like stepping into a mad house. There was a large team of Auror's in the living room with Magical Maps laid out, and the buzz of constant talking. As Hermione stepped out behind me I heard the head of my department bark to us. "Families in the Kitchen, Lions and Mackintosh are gathering personal markers."

I just nodded that I had heard and grabbed Hermione's arm to pull her with me. Entering the Kitchen the tension in the air reminded me terribly of the time we were waiting for everyone to return after collecting me from Pivot Drive just before my seventeenth birthday.

First thing I noticed was Molly being looked at by Angelina. Her face was clearly coming out in a large bruise, causing one eye to be shut. It was the comment she muttered that hit me. "They took our baby Arthur, we've only had her for a few weeks and they took her."

I glanced over the room Arthur was holding his wife's hand looking very drawn. But then I found two of my fellow Auror's talking to Ron, George and Ginny. I was sure I let out a huge breath, she was fine.

"Oh, my…..we thought it was Ginny." Hermione ran up to Ron then seemed to click to the question that was screaming in my head. "Wait, whose been kidnapped?" She asked looking around the room.

"Miss Granger, Harry." The Auror Lions acknowledged us.

Ron who had pulled Hermione into his arms looked over at me. "Mum took Olivia down to the Saturday Morning Market in the village they were attacked on the way back." He explained.

Glancing back at Ginny I noticed a lot more than my first glance had. She was pale, and shaky, almost like she was shivering. George had a hand on her shoulder and I wasn't at all sure whether it was to calm her down or to keep her there before she hexed someone the magical tension was radiating off her so much. When she lifted her eyes to scan the room, they settled on reaching mine, and my heart clenched, like it was being swished painfully on the inside. The chest monster who I really hadn't dealt with in years other than feeling it purring last night as we danced flared up and for some reason reacted to the idea it was Olivia missing more than it had when I thought it was Ginny.

I pulled my eyes away from Ginny, and turned to the other Auror in the room. Lisa MacKintosh specialized in child abductions she was looking at me and then must have read my mind as it started to form my question. "No, Harry we don't think this is a run of the mill missing child abduction. They knew what they were after."

"Crap." I moaned sitting down. "How long?" I asked. Time was always the largest factor when kids were involved.

"An hour and a half, we're guessing. Molly woke an hour ago and managed to Apperate herself back inside the wards." Angelina said as she placed what I imagined to be an ice pack back over Molly's face holding it there gently.

"I'm so sorry Ginny, so sorry." Molly half moaned.

I didn't know when my hands had reached my hair, but they were pulling at it when I realised what I was doing. "Did we have any clue this was going to happen?" I asked looking at Lions. He had been of the team investigating the threat to the Harpies.

"We got an owl yesterday afternoon, saying that the extra wards and protection for the team wouldn't stop them and they had other ways and people to use for getting to the players." Lions looked at me a little guiltily. "We didn't think of the kid, more just partners, Husbands. Olivia Fleet has only been in Miss Weasley's care for a few weeks."

"Was the team warned they were looking further from just the Harpies? Is there an owl or memo we missed?" Ron questioned.

Lions looked at the floor before looking at me again, for some reason most of the young Auror's on the team looked at me like I would blow them up if they stuffed up. "We thought with the fact they didn't have a game this week that it would be fine till Monday." I had to admit at the moment I would have blown him up if I thought it would have helped.

Auror Mackintosh spoke up then. "Going over what happened and who made errors doesn't help. Time is always of the essence when a child is involved. We have a window of only 24 hours, often after that it's…."

"It's what?" Ginny spoke for the first time. "If anything happens to her….." she stopped as tears flowed down her cheeks. I almost starred; a crying Ginny wasn't something I was used to.

Ron released Hermione and bent down grabbing Ginny's hand. "It's going to be alright Gin, Harry and I will do everything we can to find her."

"What we do need though other than the photo's you've already supplied and we've copied are markers that prove who Olivia is. Her hair could have been changed, her look etc. We need things that the person who took her wouldn't think of changing." Auror Mackintosh stated with a quill and parchment in hand.

Ginny shook her head. "I can't, I can't think of any."

"Don't you have something that washes away spells, or a spell that reveals?" Hermione asked. "I could show you a few or brew a potion."

Ron glared at Hermione like she was thick, I'm sure I would have found it amusing that for once the she was being a bit slow if this all hadn't been so serious. "Of course we've got them. But Parents don't normally like us shooting spells at their kids or throwing buckets of potion over their heads when they leave through a portkey office for another country."

"Oh." Hermione actually looked a little embarrassed.

"Her toes." Molly suddenly spoke up. "Her two little toes almost look like they are bent sideways. The toe nail almost faces outwards."

"Good, that's good, anything else?" Mackintosh asked writing it down. "Or a photo of what they look like, it might be a bit hard to explain."

"Oh, just look at mine and Ginny's. They are the same." Molly stated kicking her shoe off and holding out her foot. Glancing at it they struck me as familiar, something about me teasing Ginny when we were together. Expect Molly's feet weren't something I wanted to look at for too long.

"I thought that was just a strange family thing?" George asked scratching his head.

"Well clearly not if Olivia has them." Angelina rolled her eyes at her Husband. "Did she have any birthmarks?" She finished turning to Ginny. "Or odd freckles, moles, Fred has one on his bottom it's the cutest thing." She said turning to look at Fred who I hadn't noticed until this time as he was happily creating a great mess with food on his highchair tray oblivious to the stress around him. He looked up at his name and gave his Mum a big grin with his eight teeth showing.

We all looked back at Ginny, who seemed to have turned a lot paler all of a sudden, she sniffed, shook her head. "No, I can't." She paused then her eyebrows shot up like a light had gone on in her head. "She does have this one freckle just behind her right ear. It's about a quarter of an inch, but it's a perfect triangle. It was there when she was born as well, not one she got from the sun."

Now she had my attention, and Hermione's as well. "What did you just say?" Hermione asked her.

"A triangle freckle, birthmark, whatever behind her right ear." Ginny answered much more sure of herself now.

"That's…well that's impossible." Hermione looked at me then back at Ginny.

Was it? My brain screamed out. Was it impossible, Olivia wasn't much younger than Teddy I knew that much. Did that workout? I mean we were only together that once.

"Why?" George asked Hermione. "It's a good marker. Can you think of anymore?" He asked Ginny.

"No not that I can think of." She answered her voice shakier. While I just stared at the table, thinking this can't be happening.

"Ginny are you sure about that birthmark?" Hermione asked.

"Yes, now I've thought of it I'm totally sure." Ginny answered her. "Why?"

"It's just that….."Hermione went on to explain, I glanced around the room, I was still family and I hadn't been killed yet by a Weasley for sleeping with their sister.

"That sort of a mark has a meaning we were reading about is all isn't it Hermione." I interrupted her. She glared at me then narrowed her eyes as if to try and read my mind. I hated it when she did that.

I pulled my eyes from hers to Ginny's to find her watching me, and she now looked almost as white as a sheet. I caught her eye and I knew.

Olivia was Ginny's, she was mine. "Bloody Hell." I spat out. While a wave of huge emotion struck me. I was a father. I had a daughter. I had family.

I couldn't take my eyes off Ginny, how could she not have told me? Anger, frustration, betrayal and guilt, were just some of the emotions but the most powerful one was too protect and she was missing, Olivia had been taken by some sick wizard who wanted to harm Ginny and her team. While I hadn't even known she was mine.

"I can explain, but please just find her…." Ginny pleaded with me her voice barely audible.

"Am I missing something?" Ron questioned.

"I think there is something we all have been." Hermione told him, and I glanced at her to find her looking at me with a face I couldn't quite read other than the fact she wanted answers.

I pulled myself up from the seat using the table as support, trying to ignore the fact I was shaking. Taking one last look at the woman I had been love with for so long but who had kept my child from me. "Oh, I'm going to find her that much I know. But then you and I are going have a talk, and you better have some answers for me." I pretty much growled out before I walked out of the room to be briefed by my team in the living area. Praying I would be able to find my daughter.

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Hopefulled.


	17. Chapter 17

Sorry about being a day late, the School Holidays and other stress this week did get to me. Which would be why I haven't managed to go over and post on my other fic as well.

Thank you all for the feedback on the last part. These sorts of stories always bring out interesting responses. Some of you are more as I feel, that Ginny has had a really hard time, she's focused her life on Olivia while everyone else in her family have moved on, unable to know or help her with the struggle. As to the review that she had been a ** to Harry, well she has, but I think it's been guarding her own heart as well. The fact that you say Harry would have moved on, and not have feelings for her I don't agree with, you clearly believe that Harry had shallow feelings for Ginny. Would Harry feel guilty and blame himself even if she got him drunk and lead him on? Yes, he would, the books are very clear that Harry takes the blame on himself for pretty much everything he can. People dying, getting hurt etc. Harry is just that sort of guy. Also my parents devoiced over 30 years ago, and its only been in the last year my father has truly gotten over my mother, and believe me she hasn't been nice to him over the years.

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**Ginny**

My whole world had fallen apart again. What was worse was that I had come home last night after dancing with Harry, and curled up in my bed with Olivia thinking it was time I tried to tell him and that Harry finding out about her really wasn't the worst thing in the world.

Now though he had found out because of a triangle birthmark behind Olivia's ear! Due to the fact my baby girl who had already been through so much in her short life was missing. I know now that her missing is the worst thing in the world I don't care so much about facing Harry if he brings her home safe.

I don't know how long I watched the door Harry had just stormed through, but I overheard my family around me.

"What the hell was that about?" Ron asked in a stormy voice.

"Beats me." George growled back.

"Ginny?" I heard my mother and I could hear the question in her voice. Had she clicked? Hermione certainly knew something about Olivia's birthmark tied her to Harry.

"I'm taking Ginny up stairs to rest. We'll let you know if she thinks of any more markers." I heard Hermione state to what must have been the two Auror's other than Ron left in the room, as she grabbed my arm and pulled my gaze away from the door. "Ron, go and help Harry. He's going to need it." She gave my brother a shove then turned to my mother. "Molly maybe Arthur should help you upstairs as well. Ange and George can let Bill and Percy know what has happened, and get a healer to come and look at your eye Molly."

Typical Hermione taking charge and ordering everyone around, but I did need to be away from all these eyes. I couldn't stand it.

"Yes Arthur, help me upstairs." Mum almost ordered my father as Hermione dragged me from the room. I couldn't help but wondering if he had the same questions as Mum clearly had.

I made it upstairs to my bedroom, sat on the bed pulling the little soft toy Olivia slept with and had clearly left on my bed this morning into my arms.

Hermione stood at the door way still looking at me. Muttering to herself, not that I could hear what she was saying other than the odd slight huff, and eventually she stopped and just said to me. "Wow, so didn't see that one coming."

I just sighed. I hated to think of Harry down stairs hating me for what I had done to protect our daughter when he had no idea why I had made the choices I had.

It didn't take long for Dad to help Mum into my room and help her to sit down next to me. I looked at her face the bruising and swelling that was still coming out scared me. If they had done that to Mum they probably wouldn't worry about hurting a little girl.

"Ginny?" Mum asked again.

I pulled myself back on the bed pulling my knees up to my chest and holding them there, Olivia's soft toy still against my chest. "I'm sorry." I whispered.

"I'm just not getting it. What has that birthmark got to do with you and Harry?" My father asked Hermione.

I looked up her then as well. Wanting to know what it was exactly. Hermione looked at me, then at the floor before glancing up to catch my eyes again with a questioning look. "Do you want me to say?" She asked and I was surprised. She was clearly being Hermione, I could see in her eyes the fact that her mind was swirling with questions. But she was giving me a choice in the matter. She really must have matured a bit over the years.

I nodded my head. "Yeah, they know she's mine." I eventually answered.

Hermione nodded. "I guessed as much, the Pewett family toes." She raised her eyebrows. Of course Hermione would remember details that George and Ron wouldn't have even thought about or just brushed off. I raised my eyebrows at her. "Victoire has them, much to your Mum's delight, and Fleur's horror." She explained I hadn't even seen my niece until she was about two months old as I was finishing school in France, and I had to admit I hadn't even noticed her toes were like mine.

Hermione paused again, glancing at my parents like she was still hesitant to tell them what she knew about the birthmark. "The mark behind Olivia's ear." She started then shook her head like she didn't really quite believe what she had just found out. "It's the Potter family one. It says who should rightfully inherit invisibility cloak in the next generation. Harry has it."

"Merlin." My father muttered, running his hands over his face. "So you lied to us again?" He asked me.

Mum just turned to me. "You and Harry? When? How long?"

"I'll just leave you to it." Hermione said, pulling the door shut behind her. I was surprised she didn't want to know everything. But thankful for the bit of privacy I had with my parents. I looked up and tried to read their faces. Now they were disappointed with me and Harry.

"It's not like you think. Yes we dated for a few weeks before Dumbledore died. But he broke up with me, scared that Voldermort would go after me if he found out about us." I admitted. Ron and I hadn't told any of the rest of our family about Harry and I's short relationship when we had arrived home that summer none of them seemed to have clicked we were together at Hogwarts with all that was going on, Bill being injured and Dumbledore dying. I had decided Harry needed us as a family whether he needed me or not.

"But….." My mother asked almost like she was speechless again but managed to get out. "Ginny, Harry and you, well neither of you are the type to just do that sort of thing." She questioned me. I could see in her face the complete disbelief that Harry would use me, or anyone.

"We weren't, you're right, and Harry. Well he was respectful always. It's just….." I paused, thinking once again about the night Olivia was conceived I may as well be honest I told myself it's not like Harry forced me. "I wanted to make sure he didn't forget me when they left. I followed him outside after everyone was asleep on his birthday with a bottle of firewhisky and well I suppose one thing lead to another." I hung my head again thinking of how I had behaved afterwards towards Harry. I really had been a slightly crazed teenage girl. Not that I regretted following him, Olivia was after all worth all the stress.

My Father looked at me. "Merlin, I was always afraid the boys might come to me as teenagers one day and say they had seduced some girl and gotten her pregnant while she was drunk. I never thought my daughter would seduce someone." That comment reminded me just how much my parents loved Harry. I glared at him and opened my mouth to argue but he held up his hand. "Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying it wasn't the both of you, but the Firewhisky can't have helped."

"It didn't." I admitted. I mean yeah I wanted Harry to remember me, but it wasn't until we were there in that moment I had really wanted us to take it that far. "But he did feel bad. I know that much. So bad we fought afterwards."

"So you've never told him." Mum asked. "I mean….."

"The three left the next day. I had no way of contacting him when I found out I was pregnant. I went to Minevra, well I had to protect the baby. Then after she was born I was tied by adoption. I couldn't." I tried to explain.

My father nodded. "I suppose I can understand McGonagall's actions even more now." He sighed. "There is no way it would have been safe for anyone else to know you were carrying Harry Potter's child."

I nodded pleased that he at least seemed to understand. I knew there was no way I was going to get that from all of my family.

Mum just shook her head. "Ginny, honey, but when you came home from France you were horrible to Harry." I pulled my knees up even tighter, wiping my tears away on the back of my hand as I did so. I doubted anyone was ever going to understand how much pushing Harry away like I did had cost me.

My father though came to my rescue. "Molly dear, I think she's dealt with enough for today, don't you? Let's sort this out when Olivia is home safe again." He came over and sat down on the bed next to me, putting one hand around my shoulders and pulling me in, while he took Mum's hand with his free one, I leaned into him feeling like I was little again, and cried, really sobbing for probably the first time in my life that I could remember.

* * *

**Hermione **

I had to stop on the stairs on the way back down, and try, fail but at least try and gather my thoughts. This was insane Harry and Ginny had a child together when Ginny was still 16.

But I took a deep breath. Harry clearly hadn't known about it. That much was obvious by the look on his face. The problem was Ron knew something was up, and maybe George and Angelina. It wasn't going to help the search if Ron and George were beating the crap out of Harry.

Walking through the Kitchen there was now only Angelina sitting there with Fred in her lap. She looked up at me. "Do I want to know?" She asked which I know I would have smiled at probably in any other situation.

"Maybe not just now, but I'm sure you will soon." I told her.

"I've sent George to get a Healer, and let Bill and Percy know Olivia's been taken." She told me and I just nodded then walked through to the living area which was just buzzing with people, scanning the room, I found Harry looking over a map, deep in discussion with a top Auror. His hands once again in his hair, Ron was off to the side looking through some paper work and asking Mackintosh questions. Ron still looked a little flustered and was glancing at Harry every now and then, but I still wasn't sure what he had understood.

My eyes wove their way back to Harry. Should I tell him to go and talk with Ginny, Molly and Arthur? I mean maybe he should be up there. But looking at the set of his jaw and the determination on his face I knew there probably wasn't much chance of getting him to do anything other than looking for Olivia.

Harry glanced up and caught me watching him, he nodded his head in acknowledgement, and glanced at Ron, I could tell the question was 'has he worked it out?' I shook my head and shrugged my shoulders. Hoping he realised I wasn't sure.

"Miss Granger, we could probably use your legal mind with some of this, can you read the file we've got so far and see if anything stands out to you?" Robards the head of the Auror department asked.

I headed over to him. "Sure, I'll do whatever I can." I answered as he pointed me towards one of the many tables that seemed to have appeared all over the living area.

He followed me. "Give Miss Granger anything she asks for, she has full clearance to our files anyway." Which was true, it just wasn't something I used often while a case was still running. Even though I still worked on the rights of magical creatures that had become more like my hobby over the years. I often worked on cases after they had been closed, making sure the case was watertight for the Wizengamot, I suppose in muggle terms it made me the lawyer for the crown in a lot of cases.

I looked over the table which had things spread out all over it. "Is there a starting order to this?" I asked looking at what seemed to be a mess.

"Amm, yes." Lions answered, why wasn't I surprised things were a mess after him not thinking the team needed to be warned their families could be in danger.

"Have we had any demands yet?" I heard Ron asking. "I mean they were after the team."

"No, but I'm expecting it soon. With a kidnapping we normally get them within a few hours." Mackintosh answered him.

Lions handed me a large stack of papers. "Here you go, start on this, I'll just keep adding to it."

I nodded, and found a seat on one of the couches that had been pushed up against the wall, and started reading. Not that I expected to find much. After all it seemed so recent the targets had changed and the Auror's certainly didn't have any great leads. The buzz of voices continued around me while I scanned the letters and actions taken to date with nothing really clicking or jumping out at me. Even though I was pretty sure I wasn't concentrating as much as I would have normally, the revelations of earlier kept popping back into my mind. I didn't even notice when Ron took a seat next to me until he whispered in my ear. "Care to explain what was going on before? What's with that mark Liv's got?" He asked.

I shook my head. "I can't Ron, its well…." I looked up and saw Harry looking at me. "It's not my place." I told him.

"Well I tried asking Harry, but he won't even look at me." Ron muttered back.

That didn't surprise me too much it's not something you want to tell your best mate. 'Hey by the way I shagged your little sister when she was underage and just found out we've got a kid.'

I sighed. "Just trust me that you need to be there for him." I told Ron. "You need to have his back on this." I couldn't help but think Harry could explode out on the field. I probably should tell Robards he had a personal stake in the case and have him pulled. But I knew Harry he would never forgive me if I did that and something actually happened to Olivia, his daughter. Wow I wondered how long it would take for that thought not to blow my mind.

I tried to focus back on what I was reading, looking at the letter in my hand, it was the one that had made me sick last week about Ginny, but a sentence jumped out at me this time. "Don't think I don't know where each person is at any given time, or how to find them quickly. If I wanted Ginny Weasley would be…." I stopped reading, and looked at Ron. "See this." I pointed to the sentence. "Do you think they are tracing the team somehow? Like we used the Maurauder's Map?"

Ron shrugged. "I don't know that's pretty complex magic."

I nodded, knowing it must be, tracing magical signals, and people outside of the specialized law enforcement units at the ministry wasn't legal, and even finding out how to do it would have been tricky. Tracing people inside a certain area such as Hogwarts castle was a little different but it still made the map we had used so often at Hogwarts highly illegal. But the thought made me jump up and hurry over the Auror Mackintosh. "Is there…..I mean is there any way we could trace Olivia's magical signal?" I asked her.

She just turned and looked at me. "I wish it was that simple, but it isn't. First she would have to be letting off some magical energy, which isn't too strange it does tend to react often in fear and when a child is scared almost like a defense. Then there are also spells which would stop us being able to trace it. But the biggest problem is we don't have that sort of information on Olivia. They don't put a trace on magical children in France until they start school. It's really placing us in the dark here."

That wasn't the answer I wanted to hear. "Well wouldn't anything she's done show on our records since she's been in England?" Harry asked, and I was surprised to find him standing straight behind me. "We are stricter with underage magic."

"Miss Weasley said her magic's been a little off since Olivia's parents died. She couldn't even think of anything displayed since arriving in the country. Also we aren't that strict on them if they live in a magical household." Mackintosh answered him. "Are you alright Harry, you're looking a little green?"

"I'm fine I just want to find her." Harry answered finishing with a swear word under his breath that I could only just make out.

I looked back at the letter in my hand. "What about this line here. They say they know where the team is at all times is there a way of tracing spells that trace people they are illegal after all."

Robards hearing my questions must have walked over to us and after Mackintosh had read the line she handed it to him then answered me. "I'm not sure. If we know who has taken them we often have a chance of finding them by securing a warrant from the Wizengamot to have their signal pulled, but that can take days if not weeks."

Robard's shook his head. "Traces once they are lifted at 17 are pretty much buried by the department. It's difficult to work around the law. Even Voldermort couldn't make the ministry put the trace back on Harry to find him."

"Thank Merlin for that." A few voices around the room said at once.

So much for that, I thought. This sick wizard has whipped off with Olivia, probably through tracing Molly or something. "Okay, so how would this person be tracing the team, and maybe even Molly? Clearly not Olivia if we can't. Is it that easy to pick up a signal and then trace it?" I asked trying to find anything that might help.

"Good question. Evan's get back to the ministry, I know there will only be a few in on a Saturday, but start asking about who has access to the files. I want names, anyone who has worked there over the last say year." Robards ordered. "Keep thinking Miss Granger." He finished telling me.

I watched as a slightly overweight Auror stepped into the fireplace and called out the Auror's offices. Hating that we still didn't have any real answers.

* * *

I know this is a filler, builder type part and not the rescue, or confrontation you were looking forward too. That will come. LOL.

Please R & R

Hopefulled.


	18. Chapter 18

****I got there. This is a longer part. Because well... I wanted to move the story along. Just at this stage.

I'm still enjoying how everyone is reacting to this fic. I haven't meant to make Hermione bossy, but alot of you think I have. I just found her a very handy view point. I'm not sure if I will use any other view points at this stage. But you never know I might need them.

It's also interesting seeing people reading the same words but taking different sides so to speak. Personally I see it as quite tragic for both of them but probably more Ginny.

* * *

**Harry**

My head was pounding and it seemed to be getting worse, I couldn't help but look at my watch every few minutes constantly calculating just how much time Olivia had been missing. Until the thought that the Weasley's had given me the watch for my seventeenth birthday, a tradition in their family, it represented the fact they thought of me as one of their own. Then what did I do the day they gave it me? Knocked up their only daughter who was 15 years old at the time. I had to swallow the bile that just hit my throat at the thought.

Why would she have kept something like the fact we had a daughter from me all these years? I mean I knew she was angry with me after I apologized for sleeping with her. Well looking back I had been a bit of a jerk I mean what girl would want to hear after giving herself to you for the first time that it was a huge mistake? But was it really enough to keep the fact we shared a daughter from me?

I swore under my breath again. We were getting absolutely no where. Everything pointed to someone who was tracking the Harpies and wanting them to lose the championship. But we had no clues as to who they were.

I knew why they wanted to target Ginny so much, her playing was out of this world she regularly scored well over half the points in a game, and shone as the lead chaser on the team. She was quidditch's darling, a private darling as the magazines called her as they had never seemed to connect her with anyone, and I knew for sure she hadn't brought anyone home to the burrow when I had been away. Ron and Hermione would have told me if I was going to be faced with a boyfriend at Ginny's side when I returned from a mission.

Hermione's questions about tracing magical signals ran over my mind again, causing me to point out to Robards that maybe we should be looking for Quidditch fans in the Magical Law enforcement records office especially as the Arrows would be the team to benefit if the Harpies went down. Robard's nodded and sent another junior Auror running after Evan's.

Hermione kept checking me over with her eyes, Ron kept looking at me strangely, and my headache kept getting worse. Until I finally sunk down into one of the couches pushed to the side of the room. Hermione of course put her file aside and came to sit next to me. "Harry, go and take a breather." She put on her mother voice. "We don't have any leads as yet."

I shook my head. "I can't, not while she's out there." I stated. The few short moments I had had with Olivia in the week since I had arrived back kept playing over in my mind surely they wouldn't be the only times I had with my daughter. Surely fate wouldn't let that happen to me. "I need to find her I need to know she's alright."

"I do get that Harry, but you look like your heads about to explode." She shook her head at me. I briefly considered going into the Kitchen to look for some Pepper Up potion but then I didn't know who I would find out of the Weasley's and I didn't know who else knew the truth now.

"It feels a little like it." I answered her. "I can't believe she's kept this from me, all these years." I added then realised my hands were once again in my hair. I looked at Hermione. "I know I hurt her, but…."

"Olivia shares a birthday with Victoire." Hermiome told me.

I just narrowed my eyes at Hermione. "So?"

"Harry, she was born on the day of the battle of Hogwarts." Hermione whispered to me. "We have no idea what would have been going through Ginny's head except that she would have known her whole family were fighting for their lives. She would have spent her pregnancy not knowing whether you were alive most of the time…I'm not saying it's an excuse, but well…maybe you have to hear her out before you make up your mind." I hated it when Hermione was right, which was a little too often. But I suppose she had a point. It wasn't like she had just hidden it from me. I had left the next day leaving her in a condition she was far too young to be coping with. My head pounded more.

"We've got a Postal Owl here with a letter for Ginny." I heard Angelina say from the doorway. Looking up she had Fred on her hip, holding him like she wasn't going to let her baby out of her sight anytime soon.

My thoughts of not wanting to run into any of the Weasley's shot out of my head when Mackintosh nodded her head. "It's probably the ransom or contact we've been waiting for." Before moving to walk past Angelina. "Where's Miss Weasley?"

I pulled myself up, knowing I would give anything, and everything just to have Olivia safe. Wow, I had only found out about her just over an hour ago and I was already thinking she was my reason for living. Is this what being a father feels like?

"Ginny's still upstairs with Molly and Arthur, do you want me to call them down?" Angelina answered.

"Not yet, let's see what it says before we upset Miss Weasley anymore." Robards answered Angelina.

I was pleased that it seemed to be an unwritten rule that not everyone walk to the Kitchen and read the letter it was only Ron, Herminoe and I that followed them. Robards and Mackintosh read it after making sure it was just another postal Owl. The letters had always come from Owl Postal Service Centre's and quite a few different ones at that, which made them harder to trace, especially as there seemed no pattern to which service they used when, and were send from all over the UK.

"Do you understand this?" Mackintosh shook her head looking at the parchment before looking up at Robards.

"It doesn't make a lot of sense no. Is there something Miss Weasley hasn't told us?" The head of my department scratched his head. I felt my heart starting to beat even harder what on earth were we going to have to face now?

Ron who had worked more with Mackintosh over the years took the parchment out of her hands. "It says Ginny and Gwenog have to present themselves at the Stadium with all the wards down at 4pm today if they don't Olivia will be hurt and the truth about her will be told to the world." He read out. "What the hell am I missing about this kid?" Ron scratched his head, and then glared at Hermione and me. "Is there something important we should know that could help the search?" He almost demanded out of us.

"I'll go, I can't speak for Gwenog but I'll go." I heard Ginny and looked up to see her standing about three steps up the stairs. "If it will help I'll go." She repeated looking determined.

"We don't normally give in to ransom's Miss Weasley." Robards looked at her then glanced at his watch. "Right we have a new deadline of just under three hours, back to work everyone. Is there something else we should know Miss Weasley?"

I watched as Ginny half nodded, feeling ill, but she looked up at me. "Can I have a few moments alone with Harry first?" She asked, looking a lot more confident.

I watched as everyone left the Kitchen Ron looking between Ginny and I like he wasn't pleased. Angelina walked back in but passed Ginny on the stairs saying. "I'm just going to put Fred down for a nap. I might stay with him."

Ginny nodded at her then looked back at me. "This wasn't the way I wanted you to find out." She said when Angelina was well up the stairs and Ginny had come down the last few stairs to stand in the Kitchen with me.

"I imagine not." I spat back at her turning away from her to look out the window.

"Harry. I am sorry about it. I always have been. I know you won't be able to understand it for a long time. But….."

I focused my eyes on two figures walking towards the burrow. "What are Kingsley and McGonagall doing here?" I questioned as they made their way to the kitchen door.

"Minevra." Ginny exclaimed and ran to open the door before throwing herself into the arms of our old professor who was now the Headmistress of Hogwarts. Now that was something I never thought I would see. McGonagall still called me Mr Potter even if it was with a fondness in her tone.

Kingsley stepped around them and walked into the kitchen. "Ahh, Harry you're here, that should make things a little easier. Miss Weasley, Minevra step inside would you. Is there somewhere we could speak in private?"

"I don't know it's a little crazy around here at the moment." I answered looking at him. He had that concerned look on his face that he wore whenever he was worried about me. I hated it.

I could hear Ginny and McGonagall talking in whispered tones then McGonagall's voice. "Oh, Kingsley it looks like we're too late, Olivia's been kidnapped."

Kingsley swore. "Blast." Then looked back at Ginny. "Does he know?" He asked.

Ginny nodded her head. "Yeah, he's just a little angry at me."

I glared at her. "Don't worry she didn't want me to know, it's just Olivia has the same birthmark as I do. Sort of oblivious when she also has the same toes Ginny does."

McGonagall narrowed her eyes at me making me feel guilty straight away. "Mr Potter now is not the time." She rebuked me. "I had a call from my contact in the office of Magical Records in Paris last night. Olivia's file was accessed. Someone knows her true parentage. I briefed Kingsley this morning it could be a media nightmare. We came to tell Ginny and then to contact you."

'The truth about Olivia.' Was what the ransom note had said. They knew she was my daughter. "And here I was thinking this day couldn't get any worse." I swore once again.

"Are the Auror's here?" Kingsley asked.

Ginny nodded. "In the living room." She answered.

Kingsley just acknowledged he had heard and walked through the door closing it behind him. I took a step to follow him, but Ginny stopped me. "Harry, please, tell me what you have got to go on so far?" She asked.

I turned on her at the question. "Crap all if you must know. She was born in France they don't put a trace on kids until they start school. So we can't trace her. We had no idea where the treats were coming from. In fact the only bloody lead we have is one that Hermione suggested."

"I would have informed you in the briefing on Monday. I know you've taken a special interest in the case due to Gwenog Jones being a friend but…." I heard Robards coming back into the room.

"It's more than that we have a very real problem on our hands Robards. This is about more than just the team now." Kingsley spoke back his voice even but oozing with his ministerial authority. "Sit down." He told my boss then looked at the other three of us in the room. "That goes for the rest of you as well." He added.

I took a seat feeling a little like a child being told what to do again, yet conflicted with a whole lot of adult emotions.

Kingsley paced a bit before taking a seat himself, and looked at Robards. "Minevra came to me this morning. Olivia Fleet was adopted at birth. The records were sealed by the powerful magic of a No Trace Adoption Pact. Until six weeks ago when her parents passed away and she returned to the custody of her birth mother Miss Ginevra Weasley. Minevra very sensibly has been petitioning to keep the records sealed due to what they contained, and the fact that the birth father still didn't as yet know of her existence. Unfortunately the petition came through too late and she was contacted late last night with the news that a man had accessed the file yesterday."

Now my anger grew at McGonagall as well, she had been working to keep this information from me as much as Ginny? I turned to look at her as she pulled something out of her robes and waved her wand over it so that what had looked like a small paper weight transfigured into a large file.

"Well this prick did his homework then in going after the families striking at the only player who actually has a kid." Robards commented.

McGonagall cleared her throat. "Ginny came to me just over 4 years ago when she first realised she was pregnant. Mr Potter was on the run at the time, and I immediately saw the danger that Ginny was in if it was found out she was carrying his child."

I made myself look at Robards. Whose mouth was pretty much gapping at what had been said. He shook his head. "But you're always so trust worthy. I mean we joke about you almost being a monk at the office."

"Yes well it was a war and Miss Weasley and Mr Potter had been very close during the last part of the year at school. I was disappointed, but it's not the first time I've faced this with my students." McGonagall went on. "I arranged for her to be schooled by scholarship in France and to live with two old pupils of mine who couldn't have children." She took a breath. "I also used my knowledge and that of my late husband's from the office of Magical Law Enforcement to do a few illegal things. But I imagine it will come in handy today and I hope you will understand my motives and not throw me in Azkaban." She looked at Kingsley and then Robards. Before pulling something out of the file which was folded much like my old Maurauders Map had been.

"I actually got this idea from a Map created by Mr Potter's father and friends. One I made Mr Potter hand over to me after it was used for security at Hogwarts few times, better in the Headmistresses hands than that of another generation of Pottor's." She opened it up and waved her wand over it while saying. "I swear I will only use this to protect." She glanced down at it. Then nodded her head and waved her wand again, making one area of the map enlarge itself, then waved her wand again so it enlarged even more. "I was aware that there would be no trace on Olivia until she started school in France so took her magical signal and I made this map of France and the UK just in case. She looks to be in the village of Appleby, Linconshire." She stated looking up at me.

"Good thinking on that Arrows clue Harry." Robards jumped up. "How close can you get that map its brilliant."

McGonagall narrowed her eyes. "Only to a building, I can't tell which room or anything or even which number on the street. But she appears to be in the fifth house on the left of Arrows Way."

I was on my feet and looking at the map over Minevra's shoulder, sure enough I could see a little dot unmoving with the name Olivia Fleet next to it, then in brackets underneath Olivia Potter which caused my heart to leap. "Let's go and get her." I said walking towards the living room.

"I'm not sure Harry. I think maybe you should sit this one out." Robards stopped me in my tracks.

"Forget it." I could feel myself glaring at him. "I'm going with or without the team."

He looked at me for a moment then nodded his head. "Alright then, but you listen to orders or there will be hell to pay."

I nodded. Not really agreeing with him. I would probably do what I always did and just do what I needed to do in the moment. Luckily for me over the last few years that had led to praise rather than punishment by the department.

"Can we take that with us?" Robards asked pointing to the map.

McGonagall just nodded and handed it over. She then took Ginny's hand in hers and added. "There dear, you'll have her home in no time."

"I owe you again. I don't know how I'll ever repay you for all you've done for me over the years." I heard Ginny say as I left the room.

It only took about twenty minutes for the team to be on its way. Robards had immediately sent two Auror's out to scout out the outside of the building and surrounding area. Then to set up a shield which we could all apperate into so that the loud popping sounds wouldn't be heard all over the village.

I was partnered with Ron which I wasn't a hundred percent sure was the best idea at this stage. He looked pleased we now had a lead but did ask. "What's with Ginny trusting you more than me on this one? Are you going to tell me what the hell is going on?"

I nodded at him. "Yeah, just be aware that I don't even have all the answers yet." I told him. "But I'll tell you when we've got her."

Ron rolled his eyes at me, but Robards was barking out more information for us so Ron didn't have a chance to question me more.

As we moved to the Apperation point I saw George returning with Bill and Percy and someone else who I didn't recognize but had a Healers bag with them. Great, I'll be answering to all of the Weasley brothers bar Charlie when I get back. I thought.

Bill looked over our large team. "You have a led?" He asked Ron with raised eyebrows.

"Yeah, a pretty certain one, hopefully it won't take us long." Ron answered him.

"Good." Bill answered then nodded in my direction with a firm greeting. While George gave me a slightly strange look, making me wonder if he had worked it out.

Reaching Appleby was easy. The village looked quite and relaxed. A few people were outside on the street making their way up and down. Clearly not aware the street they were on held a madman.

The Aurors who had gone before us crept around to look over a fence at the house in question. Pointing Robards and I to a two story cottage with a thatch roof and plaster walls which looked to be very old.

"What's the details?" Robards asked.

"The wand scan showed 4 humans to be in the building sir." One answered. "Two on the ground level and two below in what we guess would be the basement."

Robards looked down at the Map he had taken from McGonagall, and counted the houses down the street to make sure we were looking at the right one. "Okay then, Harry do you have your cloak?"

I nodded my head I rarely didn't have it on me but slipped it out of the pocket in my robes. "Yes sir."

He nodded to me. "Right you lot set up a perimeter. Cast the Anti-Apperation charm and set a few wards to enclose any spells within the grounds of the house. There are too many people around, but I don't want to tip the Kidnappers off by clearing the area." He then looked at me. "Right we go in with a team of 6. You in your cloak slip by and start searching for the little girl. Hopefully we'll keep the others too busy for them to notice. Are all your wand warnings activated?" Everyone nodded.

Robards then looked at Mackintosh. "Right you're with us. Weasley, Smith and O'Ryley too. The rest of you get to it and remember your stealth." As if any of us needed reminding not to tip a suspect off.

I swore the next few minutes were some of the longest of my life, as we waited for the signal and then moved in, Robards Blasting the door down and announcing the Auror presence in the house.

Two Wizards immediately flew out of a door way and started shooting spells at the team. I had to creep along with my back to the wall to get past them. Thankful that most of the doors were open, I glanced into each room looking for a staircase that would lead me to the basement. If there were two wizards up here, it meant the other had Olivia down there.

Finding the Kitchen I saw light under one of the doors and opening it further I found the stairs I needed. Taking them quietly I listened for any noise other than the noise which was indicating that the kidnappers upstairs had been detained.

"Look, you little bitch, I'm going to get you anyway. Now let that shield down and let me take you out of here."I heard a man growl. "I'll even take you home if you want."

I felt my teeth grinding at the sound of him threatening Olivia. Wait did he just say shield? She was far too young for that sort of magic wasn't she? I crept a little faster, finally reaching the bottom step, and just about gagged at what I saw around me. Photos of all the Harpies, each of the girls I had gotten to know over the last week were plastered all over the walls showing them in training, in games, pictures from Magazines with red crosses through some of them, and disgusting words written on them.

Then I heard his voice again. "You don't need to be scared of old Ray now do you? I wonder how they managed to keep you a secret all these years. Let that shield down and I'll heal you arm." I had to swallow the pile that threatened to overtake me again, as I crept towards another slightly open door and tried to open it without alerting the creep. I needed to have them both in my sights before I threw any spells.

Finally when I could see for myself that Olivia was safely in a corner and blue light surrounding her almost like a dome, and the creep was in my sights I raised my wand ready to disarm and stupefy the wizard who was even now firing the odd spell trying to break Olivia's shield as she sat under it shaking slightly, and holding her right arm to her chest.

"Harry, Harry have you got her." I heard Ron calling to me. Swearing under my breath as the creep turned his wand and looked around the room shoot a spell at the door way which I felt hit graze my side, but in the adrenaline of the situation I fought back "Expelliarmus" I called out. Pulling off my clock so I could grab his wand, then aimed again and said. "Stupefy."

Ignoring the wizard now on the ground I jumped over him and bent down on my knees. "Liv, It's Harry." I said as I tried to reach for her only to be held back by the shield she had surrounded herself with, it was like touching a strong electric fence. "Did they hurt your arm honey?" I asked seeing how she looked at me wide eyed and slowly reached her left arm out, only to hit the shield herself.

"Liv. Sweetheart it's Uncle Ron." I heard Ron beside me now. "You can calm down? You're safe now. You can let down that shield."

"I want Ginny." She said then wiped her eyes with her left hand before she grimaced and held her right arm to her chest again.

"Call Mackintosh." I said to Ron. "She's scared as." As I tried against the shield again as I hit the electrical current I was also hit by a memory of one time when Dudley and a mate had beaten me up but being saved by a blue light surrounding me. "Liv, we're going to get you home to Ginny and Gran and get that arm fixed up. Would you like that?"

She nodded then looked at the shield around her. "I don't know how to let it down."

I couldn't help but feel for her racking my brain for how I had let down mine as a kid. "I think you need to focus on the fact you are safe now. That I'm here and I can take you back to Ginny." She closed her eyes and breathed in deeply, as the shield finally lowered and I was able to pull her into my arms. "I've got you honey. I've got you." I said holding her to my chest and turning to leave.

"Harry." I heard Mackintosh behind me. "Wow was that a shield?"

I nodded. "Her arm is hurt. I'm going to portkey her to St. Mungo's can you get Ginny to meet us there?"

Mackintosh shook her head. "I can't let you go with her Harry. It's not protocol. It's my job to take her. You aren't even related to her." I held Olivia tighter in my arms there was no way I was going to hand her over.

"Stand down Mackintosh." Robards said coming down the stairs. "Ron, go with Harry and your niece. Make sure Harry doesn't scare the hell out of the healers. We need to secure the area and find out if these idiots have told the press anything. Mackintosh go and inform the family will you."

"But….." She started to argue.

"Mackintosh, don't make me suspend you." Robards barked again.

Ron walked towards me pulling out his emergency portkey that we all carried to take us or others to St. Mungo's. "Right are you ready?" He asked.

"Yeah, Olivia we need you to touch this okay? Ron and I are going to as well. It will take us to the Hospital."

The staff at St. Mungos were amazing and it wasn't long until Olivia had been given pain potion and had what had turned out to be a right broken arm pretty much healed as long as she wore a sling for a few days and took her potion on time. The couple of bruises she had were healing before my eyes as she fell asleep against my chest on the bed in her room she needed to stay in for a few hours.

I hadn't been too harsh with the staff, but Ron had told me a few times to let them do their job. As I kissed Olivia's head again and held her tighter as I felt her snuggle slightly and sigh. "Is Ginny coming?" She whispered half asleep.

"She'll be here soon, just get some sleep sweetheart." I answered her, and watched as she finally let it over take her and her head went completely limp against me. It was the most amazing feeling, having her in my arms, knowing that she was a part of me. Glancing down, and brushing her hair out of her face I saw the birthmark that we both bore behind her right ear. Wow. The emotions rolled over me.

Ron cleared his throat across the room and nodded to Olivia's now sleeping form. "Okay spit it out I've waited all day, what's that mark all about."

I shut my eyes hoping that holding a sleeping Olivia would mean that Ron wouldn't kill me right then and there and enjoyed a few more moments of the peaceful feeling that had come over me, before opening them again and answering. "It means she's my daughter."

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	19. Chapter 19

****School holiday and family staying is killing my brain time for writing and getting things posted.

No more on the kidnappers yet. No there has been no hints as to who they are in earlier chapters.

'Bar Charlie'. (The word 'bar' meant he's not there for Harry to worry about. For the person who thought he had turned up as well.).

The Mention of McGonagall's late Husband and her working for the Department of Magical Law Enforcement at one stage is straight from JKR's extra stuff on Pottermore. I added that she worked in the Trace and Magical Signature area. But it was a nice piece of info that on her that I thought was handy for this story.

I hope you enjoy this part.

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**Harry**

"Excuse me." Ron asked wide eyed like he couldn't quite comprehend.

I held Olivia closer to me. "As I said I don't have all the answers but the mark. It's one Hermione discovered while she was researching my family."

Ron shook his head stood up and paced the room, and I could see in his face that his head was trying to work it out. "The Toes. Crap." He said then looked at Olivia to make sure she was still sleeping before taking a deep breath clearly trying to control himself. "How long were you shagging my little sister?"

Typical Ron straight to the point, but I suppose he hadn't punched me yet. "I wasn't exactly shagging her. It happened once only, the night before we left." I answered him deciding that honesty was probably best, even if it might cost me our friendship.

Ron turned on me. "Didn't I tell you to leave her alone that morning?" He asked, his face turning even redder. I nodded. "Well?" Ron growled.

The door opened and Ginny ran in, stopping when she saw Olivia asleep on my chest, slowly taking her in with her eyes, focusing on the sling. "Is…..is she alright?" She asked taking the last few steps to the bed, and placing a hand on Olivia's little head that was against my chest never taking her eyes off our daughter.

"They said she will be fine in a few days. Just needs a potion every four hours to help with the healing." I told her still finding the whole thing rather unbelievable. I took in her face and the emotions showing so clearly on it, I realised she had probably been wearing a mask around me for years.

"Excuse me." Ron blubbered behind me looking at Ginny. "But Harry here was just about to explain why he knocked you up the night after I told him to never lay hands on you again."

"Really Ron, that's about the least of our problems." She spat back at him, and went to lift Olivia off me. I held her tighter for a moment, before realising Ginny must want to hold her after today as much as I did, and I slowly let her go moving off the bed so Ginny could sit down.

Olivia moaned a little bit, stirred and opened her eyes for a second. "Ginny." She mumbled, her good arm coming up to wrap around Ginny's neck.

"Yeah baby girl I'm here. Ginny's got you." Ginny said as Olivia snuggled against her and feel back to sleep. The pain potion, and the relaxing potion she had been given clearly working.

I glanced at Ron who was watching Ginny in disbelief continuing to shake his head. I looked back to Ginny who now had tears tracking down her cheeks as she seemed to check Olivia over with her eyes and hands, her fingers pausing on a bruise that had now almost healed higher on her right shoulder.

"I'm still waiting." Ron eventually said and I turned from the sight of Ginny holding our daughter to look at my bestmate.

"Oh, thank goodness." I heard Hermione enter the room, and I turned to see her looking at Olivia and Ginny. "Is she alright? I've got those forms that Healer tried to make you sign before seeing her."

"Thanks." Ginny nodded her head. "I'll sign them later."

Hermione nodded and put the forms on a table by the bed. "I'll just leave them here. Ron, I think we should…" She turned to look at her fiancé, accessing him with her eyes clearly taking in his slightly agitated figure. "Come on let's give Ginny and Harry sometime with Olivia."

Ron shook his head, and I could see one of his fists forming. Great, just what we needed. I suppose I was in the right place if he beat the living day lights out of me. "Harry, maybe we should take this outside."

"RON!" Hermione exclaimed.

"Oh for goodness sake Ron, I got him drunk on Firewhisky then jumped him. Get out." Ginny said coldly but a little too calmly.

Ron looked from me to Ginny and back again. I had to admit I was slightly amused by Ginny's assessment of the night in question, it wasn't quite the way I saw things. But I agreed with her last comment. "You heard her. Out." I said and pointed to the door.

Hermione helped by shoving him, calling over her shoulder. "Molly and Arthur will be here soon. Molly still needs a little help getting around." Just before she shut the door as she continued to push Ron whose mouth was opening and shutting like a goldfish he clearly still wanted to say something but couldn't seem to quite get it out, but then managed to stammer just as the door closed. "They've got a kid."

I turned back to Ginny and raised my eyebrows. "You jumped me?"

She shrugged one shoulder and raised an eyebrow back. "I don't really want to think about it too much. Do you?" She answered, almost coldly.

I sighed and glanced at Olivia. It was probably a good thing Ginny was holding her or I would have probably shaken the living day lights out of Ginny. This wasn't exactly a laughing matter. I sat in the chair that had held Ron earlier and sighed, before putting my head in my hands desperately trying to get my jumbled thoughts under control but found myself crying not sobbing, just that uncontrollable steam of tears that won't let up no matter how much you wish they would. Everything I had ever wanted and longed for since I was 16 was sitting on a hospital bed a few feet away from me, yet it couldn't have been or felt more wrong. I sniffed a few times, and eventually had to conjure up a hankie.

"Harry." I heard Ginny sigh.

I held up a hand, as I blew my nose still feeling just a little out of control.

The door opened again, and I stood to vacate the chair for Molly as I saw George and Arthur help her into the room, half turning away from them to face the corner as I continued to try and control my emotions.

"Oh, my baby. They hurt her Arthur." Molly almost cried.

"Is she going to be alright?" George asked from his voice I guessed he was still closer to the door.

"Yeah, Harry said she'll need some potion every few hours I think?" Ginny questioned. I turned back and nodded at her, feeling my cheeks almost burning. What must they think of me? This family had given me everything, all they had to offer and unending support even to the point of costing Fred his life.

Arthur helped Molly into the chair and looked up at me I was surprised to see the clear concern written across his face. I had been ready for complete and utter disappointment. But then again I had no idea what or how much they knew. My brain at that particular thought denied immediately that Molly and Arthur would keep such a thing from me, but I couldn't be sure, after all I would never have thought Ginny would either.

I looked to Olivia again, not wanting to leave her, but needing to leave the room. I wasn't in any shape to talk to Ginny and it was a conversation we needed to have without Olivia in the room even if she was sleeping and it probably needed to be alone. It also wasn't as if the poor little girl had any clue of who she was to me either, something that made my stomach roll.

I managed to find my voice somehow. "I'm just going to…" I pointed at the door causing Molly to turn and look at me as well, her face turning alarmed at the sight of mine.

"Don't leave on our account Harry." She said, glancing between Ginny and I.

I shook my head at her. "I just really need some space." I told her.

She stared at me for a moment making me feel small then nodded her head. "Fare enough then. Will we see you at the burrow later?" She asked.

Was I even welcome there anymore? I almost wanted to ask. If Ron had been angry what were Ginny's 4 other brothers going to do to me. I suppose at least Charlie was away. Even though he may come back so they could all do me in together.

"I….I…." I half stammered. "I don't know." I eventually finished looking at the ground and then glanced up at Ginny and Olivia quickly before returning to the sight of my feet. There was one thing certain in my head. No matter if I lost my place in the Weasley family I was going to fight to see my daughter.

Arthur must have realised some of what was going through my head. "How about tonight? Or tomorrow morning when it's just us, Ginny and Liv at home?" He suggested. It certainly sounded like something I could cope with better.

I looked again to Ginny, who was watching me with a strange expression on her face. She nodded at me then closed her eyes acknowledging. "I do owe you some answers."

"Just a few." I muttered before heading out the door, almost running into George. I went to step past him, but he just stepped out of the room, and waited for me. My brain wondered what he would say. George had never been quite as hot headed or protective of Ginny as Ron had been, but well I had no point of reference on this one.

I just stepped out after him hearing Ginny give a little warning of just his name. "George."

He rolled his eyes at me then stuck his tongue out at Ginny as he shut the door.

I started to head out towards the main stair case out of St Mungo's when George grabbed my right arm. "Have you got your cloak?" He asked.

I nodded patting my back pocket. Turning to look at him, he shook his head then side stepped to be behind me again still holding my arm, before he flicked back my right ear. Then let out a low whistle. "Dam. Lost that bet with Ange." He grumbled.

"Nice to know someone's making money of this crap." I sarcastically answered him.

"Would you prefer I punched you?" He asked back then shook his head. "Not that I see any point in that. Knowing you you'll be brooding and introverted over this for years." He paused and looked at me shaking his head. "Forget I said anything. Just put on your cloak if you want that space Ron's out there with Bill and Percy."

**Hermione**

So much for thinking I had a nice Saturday to sit back, read and enjoy this morning, I was starting to chalk it up to one of my most eventful days ever and considering everything we had been through in our teenage years that was defiantly saying something.

I finally got Ron down the hall and out into the main waiting area of the floor they had Olivia on, while he just continued to mutter crazy things to himself, or me. I wasn't quite sure. He repeated his first comment again. "They've got a kid." He looked at me, like he wanted me to make it all go away.

"Yeah, I had gathered that one." I answered him.

"And Harry? Do you really think he had no idea?" Ron asked like he couldn't get his head around any of it.

"Clearly not." I told him. I mean Harry wouldn't have ever left a child of his. His biggest struggle with the overseas missions was leaving Teddy. Thinking of Teddy I remembered the lecture Harry gave Remus when he tried to leave Tonks.

"I suppose not." Ron's shoulders slumped. "Did any of my family know?"

My mind went over the pieces of information I had picked up through the day. I shook my head at Ron. Molly had spoken to me slightly after she had seen the healer saying 'We never never would have kept it from Harry. We only just found out she was Ginny's a few weeks ago.'

"You're parents have known she's Ginny's but not Harry's for a few weeks from what you're Mum told me." I hoped he didn't want too much more because that was about the limit of my information.

"Ron, is Olivia alright?" Bill questioned from beside me, and I turned to see we had just been joined by Bill, Percy and George and Arthur who helping Molly.

Ron nodded. "Yeah, she will be in a few days." Then narrowed his eyes at his parents. "You knew Ginny had a kid and didn't tell us? Was it going to just be one huge family secret or what?"

"What on earth?" Bill questioned.

Percy looked stunned. I almost wanted a photo for the ministry to show he wasn't always prim, proper and with a quill and parchment in hand ready for anything.

George let out a low whistle. "Blast, Ange was right on one count. Why did I bet against her?"

Bill looked from Ron to his parents. "What kid?"

"Olivia. Who do you think?" Ron answered him.

Molly looked a little like she was going to cry. "This isn't the time for this. I need to see Liv's alright. Arthur." She tried to start moving again.

"Yes. Dear." Arthur continued to help his wife.

George almost made me laugh by rolling his eyes at me before adding. "I'll leave you to calm them down shall I?" Like he was quite amused by the whole thing, I had finally come to that place where I knew no matter what the situation George would make a joke. It was his way of coping. I had also finally learnt to just let him be and not get angry if it was inappropriate. After all underneath all the jokes there was truly a heart of gold.

"How can Olivia be Ginny's? She's older that Victoire, by a year?" Bill asked shaking his head as George, Molly and Arthur disappeared down the corridor.

"Because Harry apparently shagged her the night before you're wedding." Ron told him in a way that clearly said Ron was still trying to take it in himself.

"Harry…Harry?" Percy finally spoke.

Bill swore, and shook his head. "This just doesn't make any sense."

"Can we keep this down, we're sort of in a public area and neither Ginny or Harry are going to be happy if it makes the Prophet tomorrow." I suggested in a horse whisper.

"I think we're owed some answers. What else do you know Ron?" Percy asked his tongue clearly hinged properly again now.

"That's about it, I demanded answers from Harry but Ginny just said she got him sloshed and jumped him." Ron told Percy like he didn't believe it, and I could hear he was going from shocked to angry again. I imagined he would be mood swinging for the next few weeks knowing Ron.

All three of them then turned and looked at me. Like I would be able to explain everything, and well a lot of the time I could. But this was one time I couldn't and no matter how much I had already worked out that Ginny would have had her reasons for everything she did and she had probably suffered the most throughout all of this no matter what anyone thought. I had also come to the conclusion that it was really only Harry who was owed answers straight away and even then he probably shouldn't demand them. I took a breath and shook my head up at them all. "I don't know much more than you. Other than the obvious, she was underage and pregnant during the war then gave birth on the day of the battle. I'm not sure any of us have the right to judge her decisions." I nodded my head like that should end the matter. Clearly forgetting I was dealing with three protective older brothers.

"It's all Harry fault then, she should never have had to go through that." Percy nodded like he was right. Pretentious Prat always did like his own thoughts a little too much.

"Hmmm." Bill scratched his head like he wasn't too sure. I prayed he would swing my way.

"I had told him to leave her alone that morning after I had caught them kissing. Dating her for a few weeks then dumping her at Dumbledore's funeral." Ron muttered away then looked up at Percy. "It's a bloody mess. But he knew I warned him and look what she went through." Blast. I lost Ron.

Bill was still shaking his head. "I'm not sure." He answered. "I mean did Harry even know about her?"

"Not until today. No." Ron sounded a little on the edge again. "But…"

"Hey, so what do you all think?" George asked joining us again rubbing his hands together before he looked over his shoulder and raised one eyebrow at nothing.

"Harry put her through hell, and she's never been the same clearly, you all said she changed in France. Now we know why because he couldn't keep it in his pants. He still can't according to the magazines." Percy stated still clear on his stand.

George shot him that look I still remembered so well from when we were at school and Percy was being an anal retentive git. "Right, so he should probably steer clear of us older brothers for a while then." George said a little loud for how close he was too us. I narrowed my eyes at him, trying to work out what on earth he was doing, but then I noticed one of his hands almost waving behind his back and looking over his shoulder I noticed the door which lead to the exit open and then close again by itself. Harry.

Mental note to self...…kiss George when the other three aren't watching.

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	20. Chapter 20

****Sorry got the kids back to school then got sick. So finally I get to update.

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**Ginny**

I still held Olivia as we left St Mungo's to floo home. She had woken but clung to me like I was going to disappear. I couldn't blame her she had had so much happen to her in the last few months.

But she had asked where Harry was when she woke up telling me he had come to get her from the bad man who had hurt her arm. But the poor child was constantly interrupted by more and more family members and official's popping into the room to see us. I had convinced her she would be safe with Dad and Mum while I popped out of the room and talked with the child abduction Auror, I think her name was Lisa. She had given me stacks of information on counselors and the different stages children go through when they have been through a horrific experience. Saying that she would be around in a few days to see how I and Olivia were coping. I had thought she wasn't quite as caring as she had been earlier in the day and gave me a few looks that made me feel uneasy, but asked just as she left if she would be able to meet with Harry, Olivia and I together or would she have to talk him through it separately.

I didn't like having to admit I had no idea. But I was sure she could tell that it had been a big day for all of us. I did feel judged though she had clearly been told the connection. I know it was probably something I was going to have to get used to. I had after all kept the fact that he was a father from the Hero of the wizarding world. Even if I hadn't had any choice in the matter once I found out he hadn't actually died in the battle.

Kingsley and Robards had arrived just before we left and given me a run down on what they knew so far. It looked at the moment that the whole thing was caused by a betting ring that had almost a billion galleons riding on the Arrows to win this season. But who also from what they could see were clever creepy pricks who had done their homework on each of my team members and their families my history clearly proving to be the most interesting with which to threaten.

Kingsley had also told me that we were probably going to have to work out damage control and maybe even come clean with the media before rumors started. At the moment it looked like it was contained, but they couldn't be completely sure. At his personal request. Olivia's birth file had been buried in France and secured for the next little while. But it wasn't something he could control forever.

I had just nodded. Thinking to myself once again I should have probably just moved to France when Andre and Lousia died. But I had wanted more for Liv, I wanted her to have the family I had grown up with and already it had almost cost her her life.

I also couldn't get picture of Harry crying in the hospital chair out of my mind. The anger I had expected. The frustration was understandable when he had first found out, so were the cutting almost hurtful remarks. But the completely broken look? I had never seen that before, or seen him so unhinged as he had been when trying to get out of the room when my parents had arrived. I prayed like mad George hadn't hurt him, or any of my brothers.

My brothers had all poked their heads in to Olivia's room, and asked if we were alright, before disappearing again. It was Hermione who told me they had been a little focused and frustrated with Harry, she had sent George with them saying he was the only one who could think straight. She had been pretty amazing today. She had been in shook at first that had been clear. But she had been the first person to say after Harry and Ron had left to go and get Olivia that it must have been horrible for me, and she couldn't have imagined what I was going through the whole time they were in hiding and then giving birth on the day of the battle.

Mum and Dad had said they understood, but neither of them had quite put it like that.

When I stepped out of the floo at home I only found Fleur sitting in the living room, her feet up and she was reading witches greatest parenting magazine she looked up as I eyed the room half waiting to be confronted.

"Bill 'as Victoire, I told 'im I was 'aving mild contractions and needed to rest." She said, and looked at me, slightly sideways. I must have furrowed my eyebrows in confusion at her remark. She shook her head. "After 'e told me zat 'e was angry with 'arry."

I nodded getting it she was distracting him. "So where is everyone else?" I asked her.

"Angelina is cooking dinner. Percy, Bill and Ron are still talking wiz George in the Kitchen but zey are distracted by ze children." She stated.

"I'm hungry." Olivia stated then tightened her hold around my neck. Great I thought if my brothers are discussing my life in there.

"'ow about you come and snuggle with Aunty Fleur." Fleur said and patted the seat next to her. "I would like a cuddle, and you're little cousin in 'ere might even kick so you can feel it."

Why had I ever found this woman frustrating and not wanted her as part of my family? Olivia held on tightly, but I placed her down on the couch anyway and Fleur put an arm around her cuddling her to her side. Just as the fireplace behind me flared again and my parents stepped through, almost falling out on to the carpet. But then Dad was being very protective of Mum, I was still surprised she had agreed to floo with him though, I had left them arguing about it. Fleur sniggered slightly.

"I told you it wasn't wise Arthur." Mum scolded my father, but there was a slight bit of humor there. "We haven't flooed together…"

"Since our honeymoon." Dad finished the sentence.

Mum giggled. "I suppose at least this one didn't end up with one of us with a swollen ankle."

"I think you had enough bruises to begin with today." Dad added, and I turned just in time to see them kissing.

"Please, there is a child in the room." I exclaimed.

But Olivia giggled and I spun to look at her, the sound was totally beautiful after today. She stopped when she noticed me looking at her. "I'm hungry." She said again.

"You just stay wiz me, while Ginny gets you something to eat." Fleur said as I nodded and left the room.

Walking into the kitchen Angelina was shaking her head as she waved her wand and carrots flew into a pot on the stove.

I turned to the table and saw Ron sitting there half starring into a butter beer George sighing as he feed Fred who was protesting that he didn't seem to have his father's full attention. Bill was sitting next to Victoire as she ate, and Percy was the first to look up at me. "Ginny." He stated. "Are you alright? Olivia?"

"We're fine. Ange, Olivia's hungry do you….?" I asked feeling like I had walked into a cold room. I wondered what they had all spent the last few hours talking about, well I knew, but just what did they think of Harry and I now?

"Yeah, I've got a plate for her. Ours will be ready in a little bit then we're all going home. Aren't we?" She stated looking around my brothers with a glare.

Ron groaned like he didn't want to go home. I had to wonder where Hermione had gotten too, but knowing her she was checking up on Harry.

It was Percy who looked up at me, strangely before asking. "Did he force you?" And I was completely confused.

"What?" I asked.

"Percy." Angelina sounded shocked and angry.

"Even I don't think that." Ron looked up at Percy with a glare.

"He's not like that, never has been. We all know that." George added. "This is just one of those things that happen."

Bill looked up at me, with a question in his eyes. "No, I want to know as well, because then no matter what any of you say she was only 15. Did Harry force himself on you?"

Bloody hell, two of my brothers thought that Harry may have actually rapped me? Had they ever meet the guy? I glared at Ron. "Didn't you tell them what I said at the hospital?"

Ron nodded acknowledging he had but still looking slightly guilty. "You were only 15." He glanced up.

"Yeah I was, and I was horny, and the guy I had been in love with for years was about the leave on a mission he might never return from." I pretty much growled at them. It would have been a full blown scream and a few Bat-Bogey Hex's or something worse if Olivia hadn't been waiting for me in the other room. I walked over to Angelina and grabbed the plate of food she had put aside for Olivia, before turning and glaring at my brothers again.

Mum and Dad entered the room, and their silliness from moments earlier wiped off their faces as they took us all in. Mum looked up at me, then back at my brothers shaking her head while muttering. "I knew this was going to be messy."

I looked up at Dad. Thinking I was just a bit too angry to deal with my brothers at the moment and I wanted to be with my daughter. Not them, idiots that they clearly were except maybe George. "They just asked me if Harry rapped me, for Merlin's sake. Stupid gits." I told Mum and Dad then turned back to look at the idiots in question. "Leave Harry alone, it's a big enough shock to him as it is. He probably needs your support. You know that thing you've always given him in the past. This is something Harry and I need to work through not you lot." With that I turned my back on them and walked back out of the Kitchen.

I heard Ron ask as I left. "How could she not have told anyone all these years?"

"Because she couldn't." I heard Dad answer him. I closed my eyes and wished that Dad would tell them about why I had chosen to protect Olivia.

I sat down next to Olivia and Fleur on the couch Fleur raising her eyes to mine. "Don't worry, zey will get over it."

I nodded my head. "Yeah, well at the moment they're lucky they're not permanently damaged." I answered showing the plate of food to Olivia. "Here sweetheart, look what Aunty Ange made you."

Olivia looked at it, her eyes eager. She really had managed to get the food craving gene from Ron. She looked at her sling and then looked up at me clearly wondering how she was going to eat it. I picked up the fork and waved it around the plate. "What shall we start with?" I asked her.

She looked down again. "Vege's save the potatoes and meat for last they're the best."

"Big Day." Fleur whispered as she moved her arm from around Olivia and stroked her hair slowly while I feed Olivia her first mouthful. "We were lucky to get her back so soon and so safe." I nod my head. Once again wondering why I didn't like my sister in law when Bill first brought her home. She then looked up at me. "I knew, after you got home and I remembered about Louisa not being….able to…well you know. Then I saw her toes one time and I knew. I was a little surprised I had been working up the courage to ask if it was one of my cousins from the wedding or something. The dates would have been right."

I must have narrowed my eyes at her again. Fleur just shrugged. "But I had also started to wonder if it was Harry. You two clearly had feelings for each other that summer."

No one else in my family had mentioned it, even Mum have been surprised to find out we'd had a relationship this morning. I half snorted. "When didn't I have feelings for Harry?"

Fleur nodded at me. "I was lucky Bill returned mine. I don't know what I would have done if 'e 'adn't. I had moved to England after meeting 'im once." I'm sure I half gapped at her. Maybe I had been right after all she was conniving. "Ginny so often zings aren't as simple as zey seem. Which is why I'm not judging, ozer zan to say zat boy loved you, don't let your 'ead tell you ozerwise."

Her words rolled over in my head as I continued to feed Olivia who was once again only worried about my shoveling the food in her mouth whenever she wanted more and not paying attention to what was being said around her. Fleur seemed so sure of Harry's feelings for me that summer. Part of me screamed but he left me, while the other part reminded me that he had to, and all he did was to keep all of us safe.

I put Olivia to bed after she had eaten and lay with her on my bed. I wondered how long it would be before I let her sleep on her own again. It probably was a wise habit to share a bed but…well I would spend all night getting up to check on her otherwise. If she was right next to me, we both might be able to get some sleep.

**Harry**

I've often been thankful for my invisibility cloak in my life and today was most definitely one of them. My thoughts swilled as I walked for I don't know how long. I had a daughter, and she was? Well amazing, I had felt a pull to her from the first moment I had seen her. Putting it down to the fact we both shared the tragedy of losing our parents at a young age. But there had been something else there also, a need to protect, to look after and a sense of wonder about her.

But in gaining her I had a very real fear that I may lose most of those I hold dear. Ron had been…well Ron really. My heart told me he would probably calm down eventually. I hoped it would be sooner rather than later but I was still worried. We did share a house and I certainly wasn't about to take on any long assignments' which would take me away anymore.

George had been well, I didn't really know actually other than bemused and allowing me the space I needed. Percy had been seeing red, I remembered that much, from my brief look in the waiting room.

Hermione, well she had some good points. What must of it been like for Ginny? Pregnant so young, no one to talk to, she couldn't tell Hermione or I, wouldn't have had any idea where we even were, clearly didn't tell her family, having to rely on McGonagall. My thoughts swilled never settling on one place for long but always falling back to the point of why she had never told me? Had I really hurt her that much?

I eventually found myself stopping in an alley and pulling off the invisibility cloak. Checking my watch I realised I had been walking for over three hours. I still wasn't sure whether to confront Ginny tonight or tomorrow. It had been a huge day for her. But the need to check on Olivia again was huge, like a pull from deep within.

I had always appreciated what my parents had done for me, how they had died to protect me, but it was only after today that I realised they probably didn't even have to think about their actions. The need to protect your child at all costs came naturally. Even if you had only just found out they were yours.

I entered a café in muggle London and ordered a coffee and a chicken salad. Thinking I probably needed to eat and try and get my head in the right frame before I turned up at the burrow but aware I probably couldn't hold down much more than a salad. I sigh when it finally arrives and I make myself eat it. I'm just killing time really. Waiting until I think everyone else will have surely left the burrow.

Apperating to the burrow just after 8:30pm I see the lights on downstairs, and I can make out Arthur and Molly sitting at the Kitchen table through the window. The temptation to turn and leave again hits me hard. A voice in my head distracting me with a scolding of 'They took you in made you a part of their family and you shagged their baby girl, getting her pregnant.' I shake it off telling the voice they had still invited me back.

Knocking on the door I'm almost holding my breath, maybe I should just ask to check on Olivia and leave again. It's Arthur who opens the door and I find myself unable to even look up into his face.

"Harry, come on in." He says his voice calm making me braver.

I step into the Kitchen and glance up at him and over to Molly. Who nods at me before looking at Arthur. "Why don't you put the kettle on dear?" She then looks back at me, and studies me again a little like she did at the hospital. "Have you eaten?" She voice is a little demanding.

I nod at her such routinely normal question whenever she sees me. "Yeah. I…" Shit, just what do you say in these situations? "I'm sorry." I say running my hands through my hair. I don't even want to imagine what it looks like after today.

I felt Arthur's hand on my shoulder. "Take a seat Harry." I nod and make my way to take a seat across from Molly, keeping my head down. I can't remember feeling this uncomfortable at the burrow, well ever. I hear Arthur putting on the kettle and pulling out a cup. I imagine he will make me a hot chocolate without even asking. He still does that whenever he wants to talk to one of us seriously like we're all still children.

The silence seems to stretch even though something tells me it hasn't been as long as I think, until I hear Molly clear her throat. "Arthur when that's done help me upstairs. Ginny will want me to sit with Liv just in case she wakes up. That way we can give Ginny and Harry some time to talk." She almost demands again, with an edge that tells me she's not quite as calm as Arthur.

I look up at Molly who still has her eyes on me. I try to read them, but I can't. She takes a breath after her last comment and nods at me. "We know today must have been a huge shock to you. Olivia's a lovely little girl she's a light in our lives." Her words coming out briskly.

"I know." I risk interrupting her. "She's beautiful."

Molly nods at me before adding in her lecture voice. "Oh, the howlers and lectures I would have given Ginny if I had known. The both of you actually." She shakes her head taking a deep breath then sighing. "But it seems pointless now. What happened well happened it was tragic really."

Arthur places the mug in front of me. Sure enough it's hot chocolate. He sighs as he walks around the table and holds out a hand to help Molly up. Her face is looking a lot better, the bruising is still fading, and she's clearly still a little sore somewhere as she not a hundred percent on her feet as she pulls herself up, using the table and Arthur for support. I naturally stand immediately to help. Arthur holds up his spare hand. "We're fine Harry. You just have your drink. Ginny will be down shortly." He watches as I sit back down I felt useless and still unsure of myself. But just before they hit the stairs Arthur turns his head back to me. "Things will probably be tough with the family for a while as we all try and work through everything that's been revealed today. But don't forget we still love you and Ginny."

His last words send a wave of relief over me especially when Molly nods her head glancing at me over her shoulder her eyes glistening slightly with tears. How could they have known that's what I so desperately needed to hear?

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Please R & R

Hopefulled


	21. Chapter 21

****Sorry for the delay. I've had one of my girls in Hospital for a couple for a couple of nights. Which always leaves us exhausted and behind in life.

Thanks for the reviews. Loved the suggested one liner that Harry should have made about the night Olivia was made. 'That he thinks about that night all the time in fact he casts his Protronus to it.' Gave me a great smile after not having internet for 3 days. But a little to sappy and forth coming for my fic.

I hope you enjoy this part. It always tricky writing tense situations.

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**Ginny**

I lay in bed listening to Olivia's steady breathing. The sound of air being drawn in and out through her nose was almost a balm for my troubled mind.

Today had been alot more than I had expected when I woke this morning. Even if I had come home last night and dreamt a dream of a place I hadn't even allowed my mind to wander to since giving Olivia up, Harry and I together raising Olivia.

What was it about this last week? I couldn't possibly still have feelings for him after all this time even if they had seemed to almost drown me as we danced last night. Surely those emotions were just some form of nostalgia. It wouldn't matter if I did. I knew that now after today it was going to be hard enough to even hold some sort of friendship with the guy. I mean we hadn't even really talked in years.

The thought of Kingsley saying we might have to go public scared the living daylights out of me. No matter what name I had made for myself in Quidditch after the media was finished with me I would probably always be known as the mother of Harry Potter's love child, the crazy teenager who slept with him after he had dumped her.

Olivia whimpered in her sleep again, shivering slightly. I tightened my arms around her and stroked her head whispering that I was here, and she settled again as I heard Dad helping Mum up the stairs and my heart clenched. I half prayed it was because they were heading for bed, which was very unrealistic considering how early it still was. But I suppose one was allowed to hope.

I really didn't want to leave Olivia for a conversation which was going to be painful to say the least. I had worked hard to get over the pain of having to give her away and bury the guilt and the extra torture of finding out I hadn't needed to only an hour later. Then after her birth I would hear Louisa or Andre getting up to care for her in the middle of the night and cry myself back to sleep wishing it was me. I had tried so hard not to interfere, hating to hear her crying, holding myself back. Louisa's bad health had turned out to be our compromise. I would care for Olivia over the few weeks a year Louisa needed treatment in the Paris Wizarding Hospital. They had been so wonderful allowing me the Godmother role in her life.

Returning to England after school had been a nightmare for me. But I couldn't live with them forever and my Quidditch salary helped with Olivia's upbringing. Louisa's medical fees always sucked up a large amount of Andre's salary. I'm sure it looked to my family like I had adopted another one and left them. But I was bound from telling the truth.

I heard the light tap on my door and Mum opened it slightly. "Harry's here dear. I'll sit with Olivia." She whispered.

I held my daughter a little closer. "I don't want to leave her." I whispered back knowing it was pointless. Mum hadn't liked keeping Louisa's true parentage from the family before she knew she was Harry's, Dad had faced my brothers today for me, making them leave me alone upstairs with Olivia while they had dinner. But they were going to make me face Harry. Just how did the few perfect weeks Harry and I spent together in my fifth year turn into this? 'Firewhisky and drunk teenagers.' A voice in my head yelled back at me.

"I know but you'll just be down stairs. Your father will come and get you if she wakes up." Mum answered back stepping into the room.

I was glad to see she was looking slightly better on her feet. My daughter and my mother had been hurt today, something that would have been avoided if I had allowed McGonagall to contact Harry as soon as Louisa and Andre had passed away like she had wanted to. She had been right Harry needed to know and Olivia probably needed the protection of his name. I suppose now after today Olivia would at least have that with some of the Auror department and the Minister of Magic finding out. Knowing Harry he would be feeling she was taken today because of him not me.

I slowly untangled myself from Olivia and kissed her sweet forehead once again. While also reminding myself I was a Gryffindor.

I was surprised when Mum kissed me on the way out and said. "As your father just told Harry we will always love you both."

"Thanks." I half smiled at her. Wondering just how she was holding back her frustration that I had lied to them yet again.

I would have sworn it was the longest trip I have ever made down the burrow stairs in my life. There suddenly seemed to be an overload of butterfly's in my stomach and an over whelming round of nerves hit me, I entered the Kitchen wanting to run back upstairs and hide much like I had the first time I ever saw Harry Potter sitting in my kitchen.

The feeling only increased when Harry looked at me confused for a while then half smiled at me quickly saying. "I don't even want to think how long it's been since I've seen you blush when having to face me." Blast my pale skin.

I straightened my shoulders and tried to fight my traitorous face and shrugged. "Don't get used to it." I said and moved to the sink to get a glass of water.

I needed something in my hands for this conversation. Trying to ignore my slightly shaky hands at the tap I asked. "You got Dads Hot Chocolate?"

"Yeah, I thought I was going to be in for a long conversation." He answered and I heard him take a sip.

"I think this maybe one of those things that may involve us both but I hold all the answers." I commented and the truth of my own statement hit me. Forcing myself to sit across from him I held my glass of water tightly. Wondering where the hell did I even start? The silence stretched for a moment while I tried to it workout.

But before I even got a chance to say anything Harry startled me by asking. "I know I hurt you, but enough to keep my only blood relative other than the Dursley's from me, my daughter no less?"

I looked up at him confused, could he really think I had done this to spite him? "It wasn't like that." I shook my head. Crap just what do I tell him?

"Wasn't it?" He asked, playing with his cup not even looking at me. "I remember saying that night that I would try my best to survive and come back for you. You were the one that told me not to bother. I still tried anyway. It was you who gave away our daughter and found someone else in France."

Oh Harry, my heart ached at the pain and frustration in his voice. But my mind over rode my heart like it had done so much in the last few years whenever it came to Harry, my strange coping mechanism. "Yeah, I did it to hurt you. Do you really think that little of me?" I found myself asking. Trying to catch his eye? Maybe he had changed after all.

When he didn't look up I started to talk again. "And I believed you. I waited for you, stuck in another country trying to keep myself safe like you wanted. Nine of months carrying our child only hearing you were alive at the times you broke to the ministry or Gringotts. The joy at hearing the Gringotts one sent me into Labour." I took a deep breath and the memories started to flow, with a mix of emotions running through me. I was finally telling him. "You have no idea what that was like? Not knowing?"

Harry snorted. "Yeah because Ron and I didn't almost come back when your name didn't show up on the Maudauders Map in September that year? We were beside ourselves. If Fred hadn't risked sending us a portronus I would have."

I glanced up at him, once again struck with the how cruel fate seemed to have been to us, but ignored his comment. "She was born during the battle Harry. You have to believe me that I struggled so much with the different choices I could have make about her future before she was born, but completely giving her up was never one I wanted. Even with how young we were I used to pray that the war would be over before she was born. I wanted you, I wanted my Mum. The papers were only ever drawn up for adoption for one reason and one reason only. Olivia's protection if the worst happened and you died."

And you faked it my head screamed. You pretended to die and cost me, Olivia. 'And you' that little voice that had been stirred again along with long repressed feelings that had seemed to resurface this week.

"But I didn't die?" I could hear the question in his voice. I finally caught his eye and raised my eyebrows in question at him. His eyes went wide as he looked at me. "Well not for long anyway. I...I mean how did you...you were in France?"

"Yeah well the wireless was on. The rest of the wizarding world was sort of hanging on the outcome of the battle as well. If you were dead the rest of my family would be next. I wasn't dumb. We were all blood trainers." I told him pausing slightly before continuing. "And the reports out were just slightly biased considering the entire team behind Potterwatch was in the battle. Let's just say it was reported quickly you were dead. Not so quickly you were alive." I stopped for a moment catching my breath.

"Louisa knew I didn't really want to give her up. But well the 'No trace adoption pact' is very serious magic. It meant that no one could or would find out about her until she turned 17. It meant no matter what they did to any of us that knew they wouldn't find out about Olivia. You were dead I thought it was my only option for saving her life." And I really had. I shut my eyes as the tears threatened. I didn't want to cry, I had done far too much of that today. But the memory of that moment, thinking Harry was dead and giving away the only part of him I still had. It had been the hardest thing I had ever had to do.

"How long did you think I was dead for?" Harry asked. "I mean it can't have been that long."

I sighed. I could hear the tone in his voice suggesting I had acted in haste. "About an hour and a half." I whispered. "But I had made my decision before that. If the worst happened if you didn't survive, I knew I had to give her up. It didn't take me long to convince Andre and Louisa to sign pact with their blood. They couldn't have children of their own."

"So this magical pact, it just broke when they died?" Harry asked.

"Minevra worked for months to see if she could break if somehow." I told Harry. She really had been amazing, the map today once again proved that. "But it couldn't. Not unless they died and left guardianship of Olivia to me we of course never thought that it would actually happen."

"But it did and here we are." Harry stated slightly sarcastically. It sounded like his emotional state was swinging as much as mine.

"Yes, here we are." I nodded my head before taking a sip of my water. Still trying to hold my emotions in check, they were boarder line somewhere between complete break down and wanting to blow something up.

We feel silent again swinging my mood slightly more towards blowing something up, probably from all the nervous energy. Harry moaned after about a minute. "And the last few weeks? Shouldn't you have contacted me as soon as you could? Today wouldn't have happened if I had known." He asked. It was probably a fare question on his part, especially considering today. But well...that was the problem we no longer really even had a friendship. I had believed all I read about him.

"Olivia has been my main concern Harry. She lost her parents. She's suffering." That was true, I didn't really want to mention the fact I tried to keep her under wraps from my brothers to keep him from finding out.

"I do get that, oddly enough. Ironic though considering we are her parents." Harry spat back.

I nodded it was a thought I that ran through my head often in the last few weeks. But I didn't really like the way he had said it, and it heightened my frustration. "Look as far as I knew you were busy on holiday having fun with Irena Paterson. It wasn't like you were around to even tell. How the hell was I meant to know you were leading a double life?" I argued back.

Harry's eyes went wide. "You never even talk to me, I didn't consider you to be part of a small need to know circle. How the heck did you even find out anyway?"

Dam, he had a point. Maybe I should have pretended I didn't know and just said I didn't want Olivia being exposed to his crazy celebrity lifestyle and his constantly changing girlfriends. "I overheard you talking to Mum on Monday afternoon. I really thought you were on the celebrity band wagon. It wasn't a life I wanted for her." I admitted a little begrudgingly.

Harry snorted. "I hate that side of it. But it's been a good cover, and it kept me busy. A distraction I disparately needed after the war and I no longer cared about what people out there thought about me." There was something in the way he said it that sounded like he really didn't care. As if he had been living under a shadow, heck he was Harry Bloody Potter he had always lived his life under a dam shadow or other peoples options. But he wasn't going to leave it there his voice raised slightly. "Were you ever going to tell me, or were you hoping McGonagall would succeed and get her file buried?"

This is what it came down to really. Even Harry seemed to accept why I gave her away. I'm sure there would be more questions about that at some point. But he had just asked the real question I had been free to tell him for weeks now and I hadn't even tried understandably he was pissed off. "I was thinking about it." It wasn't a good enough answer I knew that the moment I looked up at his face.

"You were thinking about it? Bloody hell Ginny do you have any idea what it was like for me today? We almost lost her and I had only just met her. The position you put me in with your family, my work colleagues. It completely blindsided me." He was angry.

"Oh and today was a walk in the park for me." I growled back at him, alright my emotions had swung all the way towards frustration and anger now. "You're acting like telling you was as easy as sending an Owl."

"Well that would have at least been a start." He shot back his voice rising even more.

I stood, I didn't need this not only that I was very close to cracking. "Harry, this isn't getting us anywhere. I should be with Olivia."

"Oddly, that's where I would like to be as well. But she hardly knows me." He stood glaring at me his knuckles resting on the table. "You're choices have made sure of that."

I snapped, and before I knew it I had slapped him. My palm stung as I gasped at what I had done. His words had hurt.

He rubbed his cheek then had the nerve to look ashamed. "Your right, we aren't getting anywhere. I suppose I should go home and see if Ron has kicked me out of my own house." His hand leaving his cheek and rubbing the back of his neck an action that showed me he wasn't he at all sure of himself and where he stood.

Completely disarming me at the same time. I had been so close to cursing him. "I'm sorry. This isn't easy on anyone."

He just nodded. "Give Liv a kiss from me." He added heading towards the door, turning back as he turned the handle. "Can I...can I see her tomorrow?"

I nodded. We were going to have to find some common ground. "Of course you can."

And he left. Leaving me wondering if the tension and frustration was always going to be there between us or if we would ever get past it.

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Let me know what you think. Please R&R.

Hopefulled


	22. Chapter 22

Right, here's part 22.

It's always very interesting when writting a fic that has hurt and angst in it how different people react to things. My personal take on this is yes Harry's angry, but he was never really vintictive or overly nasty with people he cared about. Even when Ron would just stop talking to him for strange silly reasons as teenagers do. So no, I can't see Harry wanting to hex Ginny, hate her guts or want to take Olivia off her and I struggle to write stuff I can't see the characters doing.

The same goes for Ron. He will always react with his family heart, then think about it later. If he really thought about things he would never have told Harry off for playing with Ginny's feelings on Harry's 17th birthday, because if he had thought about it he would have seen it was killing Harry just as much as it was Ginny for them not to be together. Even though I have made Ron grow up a bit in this part, as he has had time to think now.

Also I'm of the opinion that Ginny is the one who suffered the most through this. She has carried it for years. The others all only just found out. Yes Harry is suffering now with the fact his daughter is living a life he never wanted for any a child of his and the fact Ginny didn't tell him. But Ginny is in the same place, she has just had more time to accept it all. Overall, the story I have woven is just quite tragic and now I have to fix it. (Hmm, romantic stuff on the way.).

Of course we all read this fic with our own pre-conceived ideas, opinions and past heart aches or joys, which do tend have an influence on how you would like it to turn out etc. Sorry if I disapoint some of you, but I can really only write what my heart and mind would believe could happen or I wouldn't be very true to the characters that I love. But I understand that some of you would see them differently, just as we could share the same good friend, but see them differently due to the different experiences our own lives have had or that we have had with that friend.

I would also like to add to the person who is sending me abusive Guest reviews that tell me I have made a major plot error about Harry's reaction or implying that Ginny is awful, that no one is making you read my Fic, and it's pretty low to abuse someone as a guest. Luckily Fanfiction gives me the option not to accept these reviews, and it is my choice not too. I am under the impression though that others are enjoying this story.

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**Harry**

I apperated a fare walk away from Grimald Place, I probably should have flooed home from the burrow, but once again I was trying to clear my head. But I felt more like I had just returned from an Occlumency lesson with Snape in my fifth year. My head literally felt like it was about to explode. I doubted I would sleep well tonight.

The conversation with Ginny played over and over in my mind.

Was I angry with her? Clearly.

Did I blame her? Well yes and no. Crap. Her reasoning for adopting Olivia out was sound.

Hiding herself in France to give birth was sound as well. It wouldn't have taken long for Draco or one of his mates to drop that she and I had been dating if it was found out she was pregnant in the UK.

So my anger and frustration was irrational or really came down to the fact she hadn't told me weeks ago, or as soon as I got back.

Then there was the question she hadn't answered in our talk. She had given our daughter away, claimed to have wanted me during her pregnancy yet had told me she was seeing someone else two months after giving birth. The news back then that had rocked my world so much I had spent time wishing I had never returned from the dead.

Finding myself about a block from home standing on a street corner holding the bridge of my nose to stop the pounding in my head I decided that maybe going home and having a few firewhisky's or taking some sleeping potion again might actually help. I knew one thing if I tried to go to sleep in my current state the day's events and everything they meant would play over and over in my mind for hours yet.

But I found myself on the front door step wishing the wards weren't so strong, because I would quite like to Apperate straight to the Medicine cupboard and then straight to my bedroom and lock the door. But they were set up so you could Apperate within the house but not into it or out of it.

When the house had materialized in front of me I could still see some lights on. One in Ron and Hermione's room and one in the dining room, Hermione waiting up for me, probably worried and Ron waiting up for her not even wanting to look at me he was probably so pissed off.

The temptation to try and put on my cloak was very high, but I highly doubted I would get past either of my two bestfriends if I tried that. So I opened the door expecting Hermione to slam a book shut and pounce on me from the dining room. A room we used rarely expect for the odd diner party or when we were waiting for someone as it was on the ground floor next to the foyer.

So I was quite surprised when Ron called out. "Is that you Harry?"

"No, it's Peeve's. Who else are you expecting?" I tried to sound light, moving towards the dining room door. Maybe they were both waiting up for me? But to my surprise it was only Ron, two glasses and a bottle of firewhisky on the table.

"Thought you might need a drink, I know I did when I got home." Ron gestured to a seat and poured us both a glass.

I stepped into the room and little unsure. If Ron had been drinking for a few hours this might not go so well, even though I had never seen him as an angry drunk. "And how many drinks would this make it?" I asked a little nervous. But then he hadn't ripped into me yet. He didn't have his wand trained on me, and he wasn't even standing so that he had the clear height advantage he tried to use on me sometimes when we argued.

Ron's lips curled a little at the question. "Number two actually. Hermione wouldn't let me have anymore until I talked to you."

I froze a little. I didn't want this mess to come between them. "So this is her way of forcing us to talk?"

Ron shrugged. "Not really. She gave me this muggle line about not letting the Sun go round on your anger. It made sense though." He finished with his eyebrows furrowed clearly knowing he had stuffed the saying up as it no longer made any sense.

"It's don't let the sun go down on your anger." I corrected him and took one of the glasses of firewhisky.

"Yeah, that's it." Ron nodded and took a sip of his own glass, and sized me up. "Big day."

"Yep." I answered. "It's up there."

"I'm still trying to get my head around it." Ron shook his head. "You and Ginny have a 3 year old kid."

It still sounded so foreign to me as well. "Apparently."

"You been to the Burrow?" He asked next.

I just nodded again. "I got a few answers. But….."

Ron let out a low whistle. "Ginny was pretty pissed with us when they got back from St. Mungo's." He blurted out suddenly, pretty much interrupting me. "She told us we should be supporting you, then Dad told us about her having to give Liv up and not being able to tell anyone. Some of it still doesn't make a lot of sense. But…." He paused and looked up at me. "Well I was probably a bit of jerk at the Hospital." He had turned red as he was talking and it made me wonder just how long he had been sitting here practicing what he had just spilled out.

But my brain wasn't quite in the space where I wanted to accept what Ron probably only thought I wanted to hear. My emotions were frazzled and I really needed to know exactly where I stood with people. "Is this something Hermione or Ginny is making you say, or your parents?" I asked.

Ron glanced up at me and blushed again. "Well yeah. They all pretty much told me that I had been a prick. But they were right."

Were they though? My mind questioned as I fought with myself once again. The night in the meadow should never have happened. What would have life been like for Ginny and I now if it hadn't. I downed my glass of firewhisky and looked at Ron. "Percy was probably right though. Ginny's life would be different if that night had never happened."

Ron eyed me wearily before asking. "How did you know what Percy thought? Hermione said she hadn't seen you."

"I was sort of sneaking out of the Hospital helped by George." I admitted. There was no point lying, George would probably use the fact he helped me out of a tricky brother situation for years to come.

Ron nodded, clearly gathering his next thoughts. "It was a shock. I mean we all trusted you and she was so young."

"You don't think I don't know that?" I asked him. "We left her behind because she was too young remember. It wasn't like we were sneaking off to the Room of Requirement every night. It was just one of those things that happened."

Ron glared at me for a while. "You never said anything."

I raised my eyebrows questioning him. "What was I meant to say? Oi, Ron guess what I shagged you're 15 year old sister."

Ron squirmed in his seat. "Yeah, might not have gone down to well. But you still could have let me know that you weren't so innocent. I ribbed the hell out of you about going for it with Katie for ages and even then it took you 6 months."

"Ron, I've had three girlfriends in my life, that's even if you bother to count Cho. If you had known that I wasn't so innocent in the shagging department I think once again you would have questioned me." I stated back at him. But I suppose I could see his point. He did enjoy making cracks at the fact I wasn't getting any before and after Katie. It had been tempting to curse him a few times when he made the comments in passing at work such as 'give him a break, he's just sexually frustrated.' The office joke about me being a monk had come from that, which had led Robards to be so surprised this afternoon as well.

Ron shrugged his shoulders. "I would have believed you if you said it happened on an assignment."

I shook my head. "I don't like lying to my bestmate."

Ron nodded, and swirled his firewhisky around in its glass making the colours really look like they were flaming as he watched it. "You know I was thinking as I sat here. I sort of get it now."

What on earth? My mind questioned. "Get what?" I asked.

"Why you were crushed when she told you she was seeing someone else. I mean if that happened the night before we left, you really…." He paused, clearly trying to formulate his words. "Well I imagined you really thought she would be waiting for you."

I closed my eyes. "I don't know what to think anymore. She claims she wanted me during the pregnancy. That the adoption was only because she thought I was dead." I closed my eyes and wondered how I would have reacted as a 17 year old who had just defeated Tom Riddle if Ginny had come home after the battle holding our infant daughter.

Ron mumbled something shaking his head. Growled a bit then looked up at me again. "Mate, I don't know what to say."

That made two of us really. Just how did Ginny expect me to believe she wanted me all during her pregnancy when she had told me herself she was seeing somebody else only two months after giving birth? We sat in silence for a while as I my thoughts gathered themselves. Was it really just last night I was telling Hermione that holding Ginny in my arms again felt like coming home? Now, I just felt lost, hurt and angry, along with completely betrayed. "This is all a bloody mess." I blurted out honestly.

Ron half smiled. "It's not that bad. Let's look on the bright side after all Olivia could still be missing."

I reached for the bottle of firewhisky and poured myself another one. "There is that. I suppose." I commented as I downed the glass straight after pouring it and then refilled again. Olivia was safe, and here I was regretting the night she was made, wondering if she never existed just where I would stand with Ginny now. But then Molly's words about Olivia being a light in their lives hit me. She was saying that she wasn't overly happy about how or when Olivia had been conceived but she wouldn't change it, because then, well we wouldn't have Olivia. Now that I knew about her I also realised there was no way I could ever wish her away. "Olivia's beautiful isn't she?" I asked Ron, and couldn't help myself from half smiling at the thought.

Ron rolled his eyes at me. "You look just like George after Fred was born. Should I break out the cigars?"

I shook my head. "Bit late for that don't you think?"

"Probably and we don't have any. We finished them off last week when you got home." Ron informed me. "I had to buy this bottle on the way home." He gestured to the bottle of Firewhisky before finishing the glass he had poured himself when I first walked in.

I put down my third glass without having drunk it, and leaned my elbows on the table. I suddenly felt very tired. "So we're okay?" I asked still slightly unsure.

Ron smirked at me in an oddly affectionate way. "Yeah, we're alright. Anyway as George kept saying today there's no way of getting you out of the family now. You're related by blood to a Weasley, Fleet." His eyebrows furrowed. "Well I suppose really she's a Potter with that birthmark and all."

"Thanks." I breathed out. It was relief to actually hear him say it though. Even with the implied joke from George.

Ron then stood up almost knocking his chair over, but grabbed it in time. "Right, I'm going to bed. I don't know about you but all this heart to heart crap makes me tired." And then it was over, we would probably only talk around the issue from now on, or he would offer to get drunk with me if I got too upset or depressed, but being blokes that would probably be it.

I woke the next morning surprised that I had actually slept at all. But the conversation with Ron the night before had helped me a lot and I had found upon lying down my thoughts weren't quite so jumbled, especially when I decided to focus them on getting to know Olivia instead of the frustration of not knowing her before now.

Making my way down the stairs I was also pleased that I wasn't having to sneak around my own house avoiding Ron, but then wondered if I should have been even louder coming down the stairs when I walked in on Hermione and Ron snogging in the Kitchen.

"I'm pretty sure I gave you two a room for doing that sort of thing in years ago." I commented from the door way making them jump apart and Hermione turn red.

"Well you not here most of the time so it doesn't matter where we do it." Ron muttered at me with a glare.

"Ronald." Hermione slapped the back of his head then looked at me. "He didn't mean that, we don't…..well just anywhere in the house."

I held up my hands. They had already given me fat too much mental imagery for a Sunday morning. "I just don't want to know alright." I said and made my way past them to the bench and checked the jug, pleased to find out it was hot. "Either of you want a coffee?" I asked trying to be casual, but my mind was currently questioning just what surfaces I wanted to eat off in my own house from now on.

"We're fine. Hermione was just setting ours on the table when I came down." Ron answered, as I heard him take a seat.

I nodded and continued to make mine before taking a seat.

Hermione starred at me, taking me in for a few seconds before I rolled my eyes at her saying. "I'm alright, honestly. A bit blown away, confused and questioning. But alright."

She nodded in a way that I could tell she was still trying to convince herself she had done the right thing which made me frown. "Good. Because I told Kingsley you would meet with him and Robards this morning."

"It's a Sunday." I grumbled. But then again I certainly hadn't done the paperwork from yesterday and I did want to find out what they had discovered about the creeps after I had left with Olivia.

"They were looking for you in the evening, I was home when Kingsley flooed. I told them that I didn't know where you were and you needed sometime." She had probably been waiting here for me I imagined.

"What time?" I asked still not overly happy about it, I hated this feeling of being slightly out of control. I had managed my life pretty well after the war, and I normally felt very in control. The events of yesterday had thrown my entire life up in the air, not to say I was going to change tacks in my career. I certainly didn't want Olivia thinking her father was a player when it came to woman.

"10:30." Hermione answered her tone still stating she wasn't sure she had done the right thing. "It's a little hard trying to put Kingsley off when he's determined.

I nodded. "I know. Don't worry about it. Yesterday certainly opened a can of worms for everyone." I paused shaking my head. "I mean can you imagine if Rita Skeeter got hold of the story?"

Hermione narrowed her eyes. "I'd put her in a jar and suffocate her this time." We had never really gotten over our frustration with the witch. But at least she knew not to turn into her Amimagus form anymore. The last time she had been in court due to it Hermione had made sure that if she was caught again they would throw her in Azkaban for life.

Ron busy eating the fry up Hermione had probably made him grunted before swallowing. "Well I suppose at least you're used to the papers writing crap about you."

"I don't want crap written about Olivia or for her to be all over the gossip magazines." I glared at Ron. "Poor kid doesn't even know her real parents are still alive." I muttered the last bit which was the part that totally sucked for me.

"Of course you don't. Especially now, Ginny even believed all that crap." Hermione shook her head.

I nodded my head. "Yeah, she said that. I suppose most people think I'm on the celebrity bandwagon."

"Yeah, well it never bothered you. As you said let people think what they want. Espeically if they can't be bothered getting to know the real you." Ron repeated my own words back to me. Ones I had been using for years whenever he or someone else in the know asked if it ever bothered me.

"Well it bothers me if it hurts Olivia." I spat back then took a deep breath. "Sorry, this just really sucks."

Hermione nodded at me. "I think Kingsley might be right though. If managed well, it could just end up being a tragic story with the twist of you being happy to find out about her."

I suppose she was right, we were going to have to work out a plan, and spin it the way we wanted when the time came. That was of course probably dependant on Ginny and I being a bit more civil with each other that we were last night. Blast now my headache was returning.

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	23. Chapter 23

Here's the next part. I hope you enjoy it.

Thank you for the support from the people enjoying this fic, for the reviews, and people that are following it.

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**Ginny**

Olivia woke early the next morning, well she had slept restlessly was probably more to the point. Not that I could blame her. It was just every time she woke with a jolt and cried it took me a lot longer to get back to sleep than her. The events of yesterday kept playing over and over in my mind.

So it was with weary eyes and probably looking like I had a good hangover I proceeded down the stairs looking for some Pepperup Potion I really didn't care if it left steam coming out of my ears for a while. It would probably match how I felt with my brain working overtime at the moment.

Olivia wandered down with me, clearly pleased that I had finally given up on trying to get her to go back to sleep. Something I had decided was pointless when I noticed the time. She needed her next dose of potion to help her arm heal in half an hour.

"What's for breakfast?" She asked clearly surprised not to see my mother in the kitchen already cooking it. What was it about this child and food?

"I think I will have to make it today. Remember Gran got hurt yesterday as well." I told her, helping her sit up at the table.

She nodded as I headed to the potions cabinet and grabbed the Pepperup Potion, pleased that Mum always kept the cabinet well stocked. Downing a good dose Olivia giggled when the steam started to pour slowly out of my ears.

"You look like a train." She told me.

"Thanks." I answered dryly but amused and grabbed the paper and crayons Mum always kept in the Kitchen for her. "Why don't you draw me a nice picture?" I suggested placing them in front of her. "And how about you tell me what you want for breakfast and I will try and cook it. But I have to warn you I'm not as good in the Kitchen as Gran."

She looked at me seriously for a moment. "I know." She shrugged her shoulders. "Can you make eggs and bacon?"

Well I suppose 3 and a half year olds don't really know the art of subtlety. I started to pull out the frying pan, oil and the other things I needed for a good fry up when Olivia groaned. "My hand hurts." Turning quickly back to her, I saw her rubbing her right wrist. I internally told myself off for being an idiot. How was she meant to draw when her arm was still healing?

"Sorry honey. It will probably hurt for a few days yet. I forgot. How about I grab you a book from the living room?" I asked her. Olivia nodded at me still rubbing her wrist, and I quickly heading for the door.

"Ginny?" I heard her ask in a more timid voice than I was used to from her. "The bad man isn't going to come and get me again is he?" I turned back to see her biting her lip and looking a little pale.

"Oh. Sweetheart." I exclaimed and was back at the table pulling her on to my knee in seconds holding her close to my chest. "No, no, he's not going to get you again. Uncle Ron and Harry caught him." I felt her little head nod, and heard her sniff. We sat there for a few moments before I felt her move again.

"Ginny?" She asked once again. "Are you going to leave me like Mummy and Daddy? Who would look after me then?"

"Ginny's not going anywhere Olivia." I heard my father answer her from where he had clearly come down the stairs. I looked up to see the concerned look on his face as he took in the tears streaming down Olivia's face and then looked up at me. I'm pretty sure I was close to tears as well. Why did crap keep happening to my baby?

I sent a half smile back at my father as I ran my hands over Olivia's head. "Granddad is right, I'm not going anywhere, and just think of how much family you have now that you live with me, all your new aunts and uncles and even cousins."

Olivia sniffed, shifted slightly and glanced up at me, nodding her little head, but still not looking totally convinced. Before she settled her head back against my chest.

Dad walked over and ran his hand over her head, lent down and kissed my forehead before he kissed hers. "So I suppose I'm on breakfast now am I?" He asked in an upbeat tone that meant he was trying to distract Olivia from her fears. "What are we having?"

"Bacon and Eggs." Olivia told him, in a much less jovial tone than she had used to order the same breakfast from me only minutes ago.

"I had been about to start them." I tried to explain, but Dad just waved his hand at me, and then tapped the stove with his wand to get it going, placing the pan on top.

He turned back and winked at me. "When it's just your mother and I on a Sunday I always make her breakfast in bed before she gets up and cooks the big meal for everyone." He explained. "She won't stay there now you two are at home. But well she's still asleep, so I get to surprise her."

I wondered what other sweet little changes they had made to their lives thinking that the children had all flown the coop only to have me move back in with my child. "Is lunch on today?" I asked, hoping that I wasn't going to have to cook a big meal. I managed in the kitchen. Mum had made sure of that, but I certainly couldn't put on a spread like she seemed to all the time.

Dad shook his head. "No, I think yesterday was eventful enough for everyone, and well your mother and I weren't sure when Harry was going to turn up. Is he coming over today?"

"Yeah, I think so." I nodded, and looked back down at my daughter, who had moved at the mention that Harry might be coming over.

"Harry stopped the bad man." She almost muttered to herself then added moving so she could look up at me. "I like Harry."

I couldn't help but think that was a good thing considering he was probably going to be a major factor in her life from now on. The details of just how that was going to work were still too much for me to think about at the moment. Especially considering I doubted she could even understand the concept that Louisa and Andre hadn't been her birth parents. "You know what I think he would like to hear that you like him." I told her back planting another kiss on her forehead.

**Harry**

I headed in to the office after having a shower and dressing in my Auror robes. Not entirely sure if I was heading in for work or a private meeting. Ron had pointed out it probably wasn't just a paper work issue from yesterday if he hadn't been called in, which I had to admit he was probably being logical.

But I wore my robes just in case, even if I did wear slightly more casual clothes underneath. It was Sunday on a weekend I was meant to be having off after all.

Stepping out of the floo into the atrium of the Ministry I headed up to the Auror offices, walking in I realised it must be a fairly quiet Sunday as those on duty seemed to be busy at their desks and a couple even had their feet up with their hands behind their heads as they talked away to another Auror siting on their desk or standing near it.

"Hey Harry didn't think you were on today." One of them called out sitting up straighter all of the sudden.

"I've got a meeting with Kingsley and Robards." I supplied the information while wondering just how many people in the room had been let in on yesterday's revelation about Olivia being my daughter.

But I guessed not much when Lisa Macintosh popped her head out of her office and called me in. "Harry. Thought I heard you're name can we have a moment?"

I heard a snigger behind me, and turning back I saw Lions smiling at me. "I think you're in trouble for not letting her do her job yesterday." Clearly referring to the fact Ron and I had taken Olivia into St Mungo's not Macintosh. Which normally would have been a huge breach in our code of conduct, but in this case, I was Olivia's father and Ron her uncle. Clearly Lions hadn't been clued up on that fact. Something I was thankful for.

I just rolled my eyes back at him. "Robards was in control." I commented before stepping into Lisa's office and shutting the door behind me. She walked over to the couch she normally used to talk to victims and I took a clear guess that she had been told of my relationship to Olivia. Which didn't surprise me, she was more rule and procedure following that Hermione ever was. She had probably been threatening to write up Robards, Ron and I.

"Yes he was." Lisa raised her eyebrows at me. "You could have told me you know."

I glared back at her. "Yeah well I think I was still in shock. Not to say at that stage most of her family didn't even know Olivia was Ginny's and none of us knew she was mine."

She nodded her head. "I'm guessing the birthmark gave it away. She doesn't look much like you."

I nodded my head. "It's an ancient Potter family one. Believe it or not I didn't even know I had it until a week ago." I went and took a seat beside her. "I don't have long I'm due in to see Kingsley and Robards."

Lisa nodded her head. "I know I just needed to give you these. I gave copies to Miss Weasley yesterday, but well if you are going to be spending time with your daughter you'll need to read them as well. They go over the thoughts and feelings kid's often go through after an experience like this. Of course Olivia's will probably be quite extreme considering the loss of her adoptive parents not long ago." She handed me what looked like a pile of leaflets and small books. Most of them things I had seen before when I was training to deal with families after a death or bad experience. Part of my job I completely hated. It always brought back too many painful memories.

"Thanks. Poor kid has been through so much." I said flicking through the pile. "And to top it all off, I imagine she'll have to spent the rest of her life avoiding the media due to her misfortune of being related to me."

Lisa placed her hand on my shoulder. "It won't be easy. But I think that's what the minister wants to see you about. I've suggested a contingency plan to counter the story when it breaks not jumping in with a 'tell all' story from you. Olivia's got enough to deal with, without reporters chasing her."

"Thank Lisa. I'm sorry about yesterday. I had just been so scared. I mean, I had only met her a few times before that." I stood up again and opened the door.

She just nodded at me. "I understand." She stood as well. "Let me know how she's going will you. I would love to know how she produced a full shield at her age."

"I doubt she knows. I remembered doing it as a kid when I saw her there. But I had no idea what it even was, or that it was magic." I explained back. "But it might be something we work on together. In case she ever needs it again."

"Just remember to let her be a kid though Harry. It's probably better for her if she thinks it won't ever happen again." Lisa warned me in a friendly manner.

After my meeting with Robards and Kingsley which I hated, they were checking up on me as well as explaining the plan they had drawn up for if the story about Olivia broke anytime soon. They were pretty sure they had it tied up for the time being. But as they put it, you could never be a 100% sure. One of the problems with being 'the boy who lived' was that everyone worried about me whether they knew me or not.

But I did eventually agree to take some time off work to get my head around everything that had happened. They were right I hadn't had a break since Christmas and being the middle of October they had every right to insist I take some time off. We were normally required to have at least a week off every six months due to the stress of our jobs. I had dodged it by the fact my role in the US looking after Irena had been complicated but not overly busy, unless you count sitting around at photo shoots. Something that never made me comfortable, I could always hear Hermione and Angelina's voices in the back of my head about how objectified woman were.

I had also informed them that I would no longer be taking undercover roles to protect woman. Something that hadn't surprised Kingsley too much, in fact he had seemed pleased with the idea. But Robards had grumbled away about probably never finding someone who was as trust worthy as me in that sort of role.

I apparated from the Ministries apparation point straight to the burrow. After talking about all Olivia had been through I wanted to see her. There was this need to know she was alright with my own eyes. It was on this thought that I wandered just how Ginny had ever managed to leave her in France. But the frequent trips back made a lot more sense now she had never seemed to go too long before another trip there. I knew they had been less this season though as she was in the starting lineup for the Harpies this year.

I once again knocked on the door. Something I hadn't done in years. I mean it was pretty much home to me, and I normally just walked in. But after all the tension yesterday and the fact Ginny and I had only managed to get each other frustrated when we talked last night. I thought it was best at the moment not to just walk on in.

It was Molly who opened the door this time looking a lot better than she had last night. I had to admit I still loved how fast you could heal with magic. "Oh, Harry. What are you doing knocking?" She scowled slightly. "Come on in, it's starting to get colder now." As she limped back from the door and gave me a half hug. Okay so she wasn't quite right yet. "Would you like a hot drink?"

Once again it amazed me that I was even still welcome here. I suppose it helped that Ginny seemed to keep telling people she had gotten me drunk and jumped me. That was a side of her I hadn't seen for a long time. The ability to spit something out that was quick and witty at the same time. A lot like when she told people I had a Hungarian Horntail tattoo. Something I still got asked about every now and then. It's a bit strange in the locker rooms when some bloke is eyeing up your chest and then asks if you are using a glamour charm to cover it up.

I pulled back from her hug. "No, I'm fine just had some lunch at the Ministry with Kingsley."

Molly nodded. "Right, I'll just finish up making myself one then Arthurs in the shed and Ginny's with Olivia and Minerva in the living room."

"Thanks." I acknowledged. "I really just want to see how Olivia is."

Molly's face fell slightly. "She's really rather shaken still. Poor little thing."

"I suppose it's understandable really. She's been through a lot." I answered back. Making me wish I could take all her pain away, that I had that place in her heart and life to help take it away.

"Children cope with a lot Harry, and overcome it. You're a fine example of how you can grow up to be a wonderful person despite a tragic upbringing. It won't be long till she gets to know you." Molly stated, giving me the boost I needed.

"Thanks." I said and implosively gave her a kiss on the cheek before I moved into the living area.

Walking through the door, I first spotted Ginny and McGonagall sitting on the couch, I glanced around the room looking for Olivia then noticed that she was curled next to Ginny on the couch looking through a book. "Hey. Molly said to come on in." I made my presence known.

Ginny almost jumped slightly and McGonagall looked up at me, and I felt like I was in school again as she looked me up and down. "Harry, how are you?" She asked in her slightly crisp manner.

I just shrugged. "Getting there." I answered her, and walked around so that I could actually see Olivia, who was looking up at me with wide eyes. "Hey Liv, how's your arm today?"

She frowned, and held it up I was pleased to see it wasn't in the sling. "It still hurts when I pick something up or try to draw." She answered me.

I nodded at her, and bent down. "I suppose that means no flying on your broom?"

"That it does. We've had a few talks about that haven't we?" Ginny hugged our little girl closer to her. "Why don't you have a seat with Harry and show him your book while I see Minerva out." She said and moved to lift Olivia down from the couch.

Olivia looked up at me as she was placed on the floor and then back at Ginny. "Are you going to be long?" She asked her.

Ginny shook her head. "No, not long at all. I'm not going anywhere sweetheart." Then glanced up at me. "She's a little unsettled today."

I nodded. "It's understandable." But it stung slightly that she didn't feel comfortable being left with me for only a few moments. I took a seat in Arthur's favorite chair and patted my knee. "Why don't you show me that book you've got there, and maybe we could go for a walk afterwards and you could show me your favorite places for flying your broom."

Olivia after one more longing look at Ginny made her way over to me, and I picked her up turning her so that she could sit back against my chest. "I'm looking at Cinderella." She told me which surprised me I didn't often meet magical kids who read muggle books unless they knew Hermione, and even then Victoire complained that the pictures didn't move.

"Do you like fairy tales?" I asked her.

"Mummy used to read them too me." She explained.

"Would you like me to read this to you?" I asked her, she nodded handing me the book. I couldn't help but relax a little as she snuggled back against me. "Once upon a time…"I started the story, and quickly found myself in the rhythm of reading. But couldn't help overhear the quiet conversation of McGonagall and Ginny at the door way.

"He's good with her." McGonagall said.

"Yeah, he's amazing with Teddy Lupin." Ginny answered her.

"Well I'm just so pleased to see Olivia safe, and I know you weren't quite ready for it, but it will be a huge weight off your shoulders now that you no longer have to worry about your family finding out. I have to say though she's the most un-Weasley looking family member I've ever seen, I've normally been able to spot them clearly over the years." McGonagall continued on. "I know I've seen photos over the years, but it's not quite the same."

I heard Ginny half snort. "Yeah, I don't know where she gets her looks from I thought it was just toes that really connected us other than an old facial expression. But I suppose she's got a bit of Harry with that birthmark." I continued to read, I had to admit I had been thinking along the same lines. Even with little Fred's darker skin and hair, he had Weasley looks about him.

I continued to read, glancing at Olivia who was listening to the story not even aware of the quiet conversation at the doorway to the room.

"Oh, she has a lot more of Harry in her than that." McGonagall spoke again. "In fact I imagine if her hair was a different shade of auburn, and her eye's green she would look exactly like Lily, I see so much of Lily in her."

I stopped reading for a moment. Olivia looked like my mother? I tried to picture it from all of the photos I had seen. But all the photos I had showed her at 18 years or older. McGonagall would have met my mother at 11.

Olivia tapped the page I had been reading and looked up at me. "Story?" She asked, and I pulled myself back together, sending a quick look in Ginny's direction, she looked about surprised as I did. Clearly it was the first time McGonagall had told her this as well. I returned to the story, and heard them round up their conversation and as they moved towards the door, their voices sounding more and more distant.

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	24. Chapter 24

Sorry it has taken me a while to update. I have been very sick and writing while you're coughing and lacking oxygen doesn't really work if you want something that others can actually read.**  
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So here is the next part finally. I hope you all enjoy it. I'm just trying to move things along a little. But still at that stage of wanting to work through some moments.I know it might seem slow for some of you, but oh well I will get there.

I hope you enjoy this part.**  
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**Ginny**

Olivia looked like Lily Potter? Minerva's words rang over and over in my mind as I said goodbye to her and joined Harry and Olivia in the living room again. Harry must have finished reading the story to her as they were now talking about all the pictures.

I stood at the door, and watched them for a while, thinking that this should be normal for them. Moments between a daughter and her father, I remembered the times I had with my dad. Admittedly I had liked tales with lots of action in them, and just loved the story of the 'boy who lived.' That was my favorite by far.

"So do you want to show me where you like to fly outside?" Harry asked Olivia. "I can show my favorite places around the burrow if you like."

Olivia looked up at Harry. "Did you live here after your parents died like me?" She asked. She seemed fascinated with the fact Harry and Teddy's parents had died. I suppose it was grasping at people who were like her in some way trying to understand all the changes in her life.

Harry shook his head, and tightened his arm around her ever so slightly. "No, I lived with my Aunt and Uncle. I wish I had lived here. I think you are in the best place possible with lots of family around who love you."

Olivia nodded her head, and sighed. "I miss Mummy and Daddy."

My heart clenched again. As the little voice in the back of my head reminded me, that at least she was starting to accept they were gone. But overall I still wanted the best for my daughter. I loved finally being her main caregiver and the fact I could see her every day. But I still hated that I couldn't bring back Louisa and Andre for her.

"It's fine to miss them Liv. I still miss mine sometimes. Look I even carry a picture of them around with me." Harry said and pulled out his wallet, flipping it open to reveal a picture.

Olivia looked at the picture in front of her, and placed her hand on it. "Who is the baby?" She asked.

"That's me when I was even smaller than you." Harry answered her.

"I have a picture of Mummy and Daddy by my bed." She announced. "Would you like to see it?"

"I would like that very much." Harry answered her, and Olivia lowered herself off his knee and took off towards the stairs stopping when she reached me.

"I get picture of Mummy and Daddy." She announced a little excitedly. Which was more animated than I had seen her all day. I prayed she wouldn't continue to be too affected from yesterday's kidnapping, but I had that awful feeling it was just wishful thinking.

I watched Olivia climbing the stairs before walking into the room and taking a seat back on the couch near where Harry sat in Dad's favorite chair. "Do you mind?" I started, and then paused. "Do you mind if I see the picture of your parents, I don't know if you heard Minerva but she said Liv looked like your Mum."

Harry handed me his wallet, which he had still been looking at. "I heard. I can't see too much myself, but, well I only have photos of my mother from when she was about 18. McGonagall would have met her at 11. So I suppose she might see more than I can." He shrugged.

I took the wallet, and looked down at the picture I knew I had seen before it was a smaller copy of the one on the front of Harry's photo album that Hagrid had given him at the end of his first year. Lily and James holding Harry between them and making him wave at the camera. They all looked so happy. Peering closer at Lily, I could make out a few facial features, and something about her mouth and eye shape that reminded me of Olivia. "I can sort of see it." I commented. "At least we know why she doesn't look so much like either of us now, you taking after your father so much if she takes after your Mum."

"I suppose so." Harry just half mumbled. There was still that tension in his voice. Well I suppose that wasn't exactly new considering we had basically been ignoring each other for years.

I stayed starring at the photo, before noticing that there was another photo under it, just sticking out the top, and before I even thought about it, I pulled it out, gasping when I realised it was a photo of Harry and I, well Hermione and Ron were on the Gryffindor couch with us smiling at the camera, but it was the way I was sitting on Harry's knee, seemingly not to care about the picture being taken I was so lost in looking at him with complete adoration, while he smiled for the picture before kissing my neck and whispering something to me.

Harry grabbed the wallet back. "I forgot about that, my wallet's about 4 years old." He said, moving nervously on the seat while I'm sure I just stared at him. After all this time he carried a photo of when we were together? A photo until this moment I didn't even know existed.

"I…" I paused shaking my head, to gather my thoughts. "I've never even seen that picture before?" I questioned him.

Harry ran his hands through his hair, and looked at the ground, I'm sure trying to hide the fact he had turned slightly red in the face. "It was one Dennis found when going through Colin's things. He….well he gave it to me at the memorial for Colin." Harry explained then took a deep breath. "There was of course a huge pile of other photo's Colin had taken of me at Hogwarts. I have a good record of my years there." He tried to lighten his voice and make a bit of a joke out of it. Colin always had a camera around his neck I even had a stash of Harry pictures somewhere from when I was obsessed with him in my first few years at Hogwarts. Colin would give one to me every now and then. "I just like that one as it's the one I have where Hermione and Ron aren't fighting or ignoring each other." He finished.

That just happens to have us looking at each other lovingly? My head questioned but I pushed it back. Little feet broke through my crazy thoughts as Olivia ran down the last few steps and launched back into the room carrying the photo I had placed next to her bed of Andre and Louisa. She took it straight to Harry, and handed it over pointing out. "That's my Mummy and that's my Daddy." She pointed out the obvious.

Harry whose colour seemed to be returning to normal looked at the photo in his hand. "They look like very good parents." He told her. "Why don't you tell me about them?"

I watched as they chatted for a few minutes still working through the fact that Harry had that picture of us in his wallet. Olivia looked like his mother, and well pretty much everything else that had happened in the last few days. My mind must have wandered far away because I was brought back to the room by Olivia giggling and pulling on my hand. "Harry and I are going to walk in the meadow." She announced.

I mentally swore at myself. "Olivia was asking if you wanted to come." Harry stated and I looked up at him now standing a few feet away from me.

I shook my head. I was just too confused to be around him at the moment. "No, I'll stay here and have a chat with Gran." I tried to smile back at Olivia.

She didn't seem stressed by this after being clingy to me all morning she was quite happy to run off with Harry. It was probably a good thing she saw him as a safe person. But….. 'Well but what?' my mind screamed at me. He is her father.

Harry pulled something from his pocket and tapped it with his wand, enlarging it to be a folder before dropping it next to me. "This is the plan Kingsley and I worked out with Robards for now. They think it's safe from the media, but…." He sighed. "We've worked out a plan if it breaks. There is also some information on the new wards and protection that will be in place around here. You should probably read it and let me know if it's okay."

"Sure." I muttered back picking it up. "Have fun Liv." I called after them as they left the room.

I wasn't too impressed that he had been making these choices without me, but well I suppose he was the one with the relationships. The Minister of magic and the Head of the Auror were people that probably needed to be in the know when it came to Harry. I suppose if we had royalty in the wizarding world, he would be up there. It was well known if he was on the cover of a magazine it sold out. Even though they were clearly always filled with a pack of lies, something I was still getting my head around.

Harry didn't use woman, he didn't only date those that were rich and drop dead gorgeous. In fact the only person I know he had been with since us was Katie Bell. She had always been pretty and popular. Hanging out with the twins and girls who were all a year older than her, but well she wasn't rich, flashy or any of those things everyone seemed to think Harry went for. She was… well she was lovely, she had always been nice to me. I sat back and closed my eyes ignoring the file for a moment, still trying to get my thoughts under control.

I was sitting with Mum in the Kitchen with my hands around a Hot Chocolate when Olivia and Harry finally returned from their walk. Which I guessed was a hit with her as she still looked happy and came in climbing up on my knee to tell me all about it.

Harry chatted with Mum as Olivia distracted me, but I did hear him refuse a hot drink. "No, Molly, I think I'll head home. I've got the next week off, so I might pop in tomorrow or Tuesday. I didn't get to see Teddy this weekend so I might just bring him with me."

"Oh. Alright then if you're sure you don't want to stay for dinner?" Mum questioned him again. I was relieved when he answered no. I knew there was still a lot for us to talk about. But it needed to be when Olivia wasn't around or was fast asleep for the night.

There was a quick round of goodbyes, and I encouraged Olivia to give him a hug for taking her for a walk and reading to her, as Harry looked a little longingly at her but completely unsure about touching her while she was sitting on my knee. Olivia wiggled off my knee and did as she was told Harry bending down to one knee to kiss her forehead and hug her. Standing back up he looked back at me. "I suppose you'll need to talk about some of the stuff in the file with your parents and get back to me." He just stated before saying goodbye to Mum again and then he was off.

Well at least we could be civil with each other. I thought as I helped Olivia climb back onto my knee.

"See, that wasn't so bad." Mum commented, as she watched Harry reach the apparation point and disappear.

I wanted to roll my eyes at her, but stopped myself. I didn't need her telling me off for being cheeky. While also thinking I didn't slap him this time so I supposed she was right.

**Hermione**

Ron and I tried to relax on the Sunday, but I still continued to find myself constantly thinking about Ginny and Harry. There were still so many things I would like to know. Mainly from Ginny, as Harry, well didn't really know that much still from what I could gather.

I found my mind wandering over and over again to those months and months we had spent on the run hiding in a tent. The thought that Ginny was in self exile hiding at the time worried me. I had missed her friendship so much over the years. She was after all the only really close female friend I had ever had. Others had build and sure enough now I was close to my sister in laws to be and Luna. I even held my own with Lavender and the Patil twins. But Ginny's distance after the war had always been something that bugged and hurt me.

I suppose I could understand it all so much now we knew about Olivia. Espeically once Ron had told me it had been a 'No Trace Adoption pact.' due to the fact Ginny had thought Harry had died in the battle. Something within me felt awful for not having tried more over the years to be there for her. She had been bound by an extremely powerful magic to keep a secret that she couldn't forget about. I'm sure it would have just about eaten me alive.

I slammed the book I had been trying to read shut making Ron who was once again playing with his toy Quidditch set Harry had brought back from the States jump in shock and causing him to swear. "Crap Mione. Now the Canon's dream team lost. You just let Arrows other seeker grab the snitch."

I grinned at him. "So even in you dream world they can't win?" I teased. After all these years I had finally had a reasonable knowledge of Quiddtich. After all I was dragged to games often enough.

Ron glared at me. "They won three of the matches I set up today." and then poked his tongue out at me.

"Still doesn't mean you get to paint our bedroom orange." I brought up the age old fun argument. He had seriously wanted to paint it orange when we first moved into Grimald Place and started to redecorate causing me to make him sit a test to see if he was colour blind.

Ron stood and made his way over to where I sat on the couch, before pushing my shoulder back to make me lie down, and then climbing on top of me. "You owe me now. I had the Canons on a winning streak." He said before tickling me.

"Yeah, only because Harry brought you toys it's never going to happen in real life." I teased him, squirming underneath his fingers that were still trying to tickle me.

Ron shook his head. "Never say never, I mean look at us. I never thought I would you fall for me."

I stopped squirming for a moment. I loved the fact he was still awed that I loved him, in a strange way it only mirrored my feelings for him. With the exception of being famous after the war, I never really turned many heads naturally. Unlike Ron and Harry who had grown into their own in our last years at school and had many girls interested in them. I had always been the brain that most people only turned to for help with their homework. "I love you." I smiled at him, before garbing the back of his head and pulling him in for a deep kiss.

It only took moments for him to respond, and we settled into the pattern that we both knew would lead somewhere, his hands quickly unbuttoning my shirt as I pulled his over his head.

"Bloody hell, do I need to get my own place? Wait this is my place." Harry's voice broke us apart quickly a few minutes later leaving me scrambling to quickly do up the buttons on my shirt. "My kitchen, my couch." Harry muttered. "I think I'll go lock myself in my room, or have you been there as well?"

"Don't be daft." Ron interrupted him pulling his own shirt back over his head. "We would never make that far up the stairs." Referring to the fact Harry was two levels above our room.

"Ron." I exclaimed. "Of course we would never use your room. We just got a little carried away."

"I could see that." Harry rolled his eyes at us. "I still think I'll go and lock myself in my room." He turned to leave the room.

"Wait." I called after him. "How did you go today, any trouble at work?"

Harry turned back. "No, they just wanted to go over some things with me about Olivia and safety, along with their plan for when or if the media hears of it."

I nodded at him. "So it's buried for now?" I asked. He just nodded at me, as a sense of relief swept over me. Hopefully it wouldn't break until Harry, Ginny and well the rest of us as well had gotten used the fact, and well hopefully when Olivia already knew the truth as well. "That's good."

Harry just shrugged. "I suppose it is." He muttered.

"Of course it is you said this morning you didn't want Olivia in the news." Ron pointed out.

"I don't, but…." Harry's hand found his hair again, running through is in the sign that so clearly told us he was still frustrated. "Well, it's all just so messed up. I stopped by the burrow Liv seems to be doing alright, and she seems to like me well enough but….."

I pushed Ron further from me. "Harry. Take a seat." I told him. He moved into the room and sat in a chair about the furthest from us he could be still not really looking at us. "But what Harry?" I asked him.

"It's just all so messed up. I mean I still don't really understand this whole adoption thing, if the magic was so powerful that Ginny couldn't tell anyone about it, but she still knew, and McGonagall still knew, and Liv's parents. Why couldn't I know? I mean I am the father." He sort of spilled out his thoughts.

"It does seem odd mate." Ron said next to me.

I suppose I shouldn't have been too surprised, and mean these two might be in Law enforcement but they really only knew what they had too at any given point. I took a deep breath. "The 'No Trace Adoption Pact' was designed to keep the father from ever being able to track down the child." I tried to explain. Ron and Harry both looked at me like I was mad. "No, just listen alright." I held up a hand and gathered my thoughts before opening my mouth again.

"It was first created in the 15th century, there was some very dark magic around then going on, and well some of the potions required the sacrifice and life blood of a male's virgin child. You'll get of course that most mothers aren't too keen on giving birth just so their baby is killed on some altar." Ron and Harry both shivered at the thought. The same reaction I had when first reading about it years ago. "I became popular again in first wizarding war as Voldermort encouraged some of his followers to test some of the potions and spells again. I suppose a little like that one that brought Tom Riddle back in our 4th year. It also works a lot like the Fidelius Charm. When in place, well no one would be able to find out. But even more powerful, you couldn't tell anyone either. Believe me if we had meet Olivia a few months ago we wouldn't have even noticed the toes or the birthmark."

"So how did it break then?" Ron asked like he was still getting his head around it.

I shrugged my shoulders and tried to remember. "I think it had something to with often the mothers being young virgins before wizards forced themselves on them to get them with child and their parents often taking on the Adoption. If….well if the threat against the child ceased. The adoptive parents then had the choice to leave the care of that child back to its birth mother breaking the pact. But only in the event they died, the ministry has never been too keen on adopted children being given back unless something serious has happened to the adoptive parents." I finished and looked at Harry, who had sat back now, resting his head against the back of the chair with his eyes closed.

"But in Ginny's case there shouldn't have been any threat. She thought I was dead." He muttered.

"Yes, but the threat from Death Eaters was still there. Olivia is your child Harry. If we had lost and Voldermort found out about her, well we all know he had no problem trying to kill you as a baby." I pointed out. He just nodded, still not opening his eyes.

"It's all a little crazy isn't it?" Ron mumbled taking my hand. "I wonder what Ginny would have done differently if Olivia had been born even a day later."

Harry snorted from where he sat. "She would have been fatherless anyway, by the time you and your brothers had all finished with me."

Ron shrugged. "Probably." He half smirked. "We still haven't told Charlie yet. I think Dad or Ginny's going to let him know soon. He might bring a dragon with him."

Harry just half snorted again. "You can just tell him Ginny's already slapped me. Quite frankly it's all just a huge mess."

"I don't know. I mean you've never gotten over her. Now you share a kid, maybe, well maybe there's a chance for you. Surely that would be the best thing for Olivia." Ron suggested making me half want to slap him.

Harry sat forward on his chair and stared at Ron. "She choose not to tell me when she could, she put Olivia in danger by not telling us. She's chosen again and again over the years to push me away. I doubt the fact I know now is going to change the way she feels about me. She doesn't want me anywhere near her, and well if it wasn't for Olivia I doubt I'd want to be around her much at the moment." He finished by standing a heading out the door and closing it behind him muttering swear words as he went

I just glared at Ron. "Nice one." I muttered. "I don't think Harry's quite in the place where he wants to shag your sister anymore."

"I know." Ron mumbled next to me. "I've just been thinking, well…" He paused and shook his head. "She spent years loving him he's spent years loving her. It's just unfair that they aren't together. Happy and bringing up Olivia. He's right it's just one great big bloody mess."

* * *

Please R & R

Hopefulled.


	25. Chapter 25

Got there. Finally. I suppose at least the part is slightly longer. Health is returning to my household if you don't count the fact one of the kids now has a broken wrist.

Sorry it's taken me two weeks to update. But real life has a habit of interrupting my imaginary/writing one.

I hope you enjoy this part.

* * *

**Harry**

I had to admit by on Monday morning I was quite glad I had the week off work. Sleep hadn't come easily the last couple of nights. But I must have drifted off finally sometime around dawn and woke to an empty house Ron and Hermione clearly having already left for work.

I grabbed some toast and a coffee before getting ready for the day and exiting the house to Apparate over to Andromeda's to see Teddy. Knocking on the door I hoped the little boy hadn't been too upset about not spending Saturday night, I hated letting him down.

I could see Teddy jumping at the door before Andromeda came and unlocked the front door with a flick of her wand, Teddy had pretty much been a fantastic escape artist when he first started walking and we had both had to secure our houses a lot more. Hermione constantly joking that it was a change from the normal for us, stopping someone from getting out of where we were staying compared to always stopping people from getting in.

Teddy jumped up and down excitedly. "Harry, Harry. You came."

"I did." I answered him as he I scooped him into a hug. "Sorry about Saturday. But…"

"Don't worry about it Harry. Hermione let us know what happened later in the afternoon. Is Olivia alright?" Andromeda asked, as I stood up with Teddy still clinging to my neck.

"Yeah, shaken, and it will take a few days for her wrist to heal." I answered doubting Hermione would have said anything to Andromeda about what else we found out on the day.

"What a relief." Andromeda sighed. "I can't imagine what Ginny must have been going through."

"It was a hard day on all of us that's for sure." I answered back then tickled Teddy. "I have the week off now though, so what do you think about coming to stay with me tonight?" I asked.

"Can I? Can I?" He asked looking at his Nana with a great grin on his face then turning back to me. "Can we see Liva? Please?"

I shrugged. "We'll have to floo Molly and ask, but I think they'll be home."

Teddy clapped his hands excitedly. While An gave him a warning. "You'll have to be careful with her Teddy. She got hurt on Saturday and needs to recover so no playing rough."

"I can't play rough with Liv she's a girl." Teddy grunted as he squirmed out of my arms. "Can I bring my broom?" He looked up at me.

I shook my head down at him. "No, Olivia's not allowed on hers for a few days, so it's not fare if you bring yours." I tried to explain.

Teddy screwed up his nose at me. "No fare." He grumbled and took off to his room. "I'll pack." He called out.

"We better go and help or he will be looking even more outrageous than he normally does with all his different shades of hair." Andromeda said as we headed down the hall.

It didn't take us long to have Teddy ready, and he was practically jumping at the bit to get out the door, ready for an adventure. He certainly had the fun sense of his mother. Even though I supposed none of us knew what Remus had been like before being bitten as a child.

So after a few warnings from Andromeda to Teddy about behaving, we were off. Teddy's hat covering all of his hair, as he was keen to visit a muggle toy store that I often took him to, but the colour changing hair was just too much paper work if it was noticed by muggles. Especially as every now and then the electrical toys in the shop would play up while we were there Teddy clearly sending out accidental magic as he looked at them in awe.

I liked the idea of going today as I also had the idea of buying something for Olivia that was from me. The Toy broom had been a present from Teddy really, even if I had paid for it. I sort of wanted her to have something from me. I had thought of all the family history and jewels in my vault and giving her something that held part of our legacy. But well, she was only 3 years old, and had no comprehension what that would mean. Heck I didn't even have that much knowledge of the jewels that were in the massive chest at the back of my vault. Maybe Hermione knew more I wondered as Teddy continued to drag my hand and the rest of me along the street. She had after all found out about the birthmark.

Teddy starred in wonder as he always did. At the toys, interested in the slot car sets and model trains, I always had to try and explain they just wouldn't work in his magical house. But there was something that about them that he loved. He had magical things that were pretty similar but I often wondered if it was the fact that there were controls for the muggle ones, buttons to stop and start them. The magical ones required an adult wand to control due to the clear restrictions on underage magic. I could see that being frustrating for an eager child like Teddy.

We settled in the end for some Lego pirate ship. Something I hoped would keep him happy for hours. Even though I had a feeling it would take hours of my help to put it together. When I suggested getting something for Olivia Teddy seemed to lose interest and instead spent the next half an hour pushing a wooden train around a track while a little muggle girl next to him was horrified that Teddy didn't know that trains name was Thomas and that there was a fat controller who was in charge of all the trains. Then preceded to tell Teddy all the trains names and what they were like. She reminded me oddly of a tiny Hermione.

I looked around the shop hoping something would jump out at me. She liked books I knew that much and flying her toy broom. But that was pretty much the extend of her interests that I knew. I also wasn't sure how her arm was healing. In the end I decided on some new story books, knowing she liked muggle picture books and picked out some that I found quite amusing. Then looked at the soft toys, asking Teddy if he saw any he thought Olivia would like. But the only answer I got was a request for Thomas the Tank Engine for Christmas, and a whisper in my ear asking if I could make it move by magic instead of him having the push the train around the track. I just smiled and told him we would have to wait a see what presents arrived under the tree for him even if it was only October.

After Teddy had returned to the train set I once again looked at the large shelf of soft toys. The various animals and bright colours all seemed to look back at me. But none of them really stood out.

"Can I help you?" asked a sales assistant that until now had been busy with other customers.

"I'm looking for a toy for a three year old girl." I commented scratching my head and hating the fact I didn't even know what my daughter would like.

"Oh, well does she like soft toys?" The assistant asked.

"I'm not sure." I shook my head, I probably sounded daft.

"Oh, well, do you know what she likes to watch on TV? I see your little one enjoys Thomas." She said as she glanced back at Teddy.

"My Godson." I nodded, thinking Teddy probably hadn't even heard of a Train called Thomas before today.

"He's a happy wee thing." She smiled at him. Then turned back to me, and glanced at the books I was holding along with the Lego. "Are the books for the little girl as well?"

I nodded. "She likes fairy tales." I answered remembering the story I had read her yesterday.

"Most little girls do. Come with me." The Sales assistant smiled at me. I followed her to another shelf, checking that Teddy was still playing as I went, and found myself in front of a dress up area. "Now any story she likes especially?"

"We read Cinderella yesterday." I thought of Olivia sitting on my knee as we read the old tale.

I sales assistant pulled out a blue princess looking dress, and a crown. "How about these and what size. I know you said three, but is she large or small for her age?" She asked.

How the heck should I know? I wanted to ask, but then felt Teddy run into my leg. "Hey Harry, whose the dress for?"

"I wanted to get something for Olivia remember buddy." I answered him.

"Look at the castle Harry?" Teddy exclaimed pointing to what looked like a little pop up tent. "Can I have a costume too?"

"I really think a soft toy would be better." I thought shaking my head. I just didn't know Olivia well enough. Not to say I had no idea what size she would be in dress up costumes.

"Olivia likes Unicorns." Teddy exclaimed, and ran back over to the soft toys picking up a white unicorn with wings. "She liked the one on my bed. But this one has a pink horn. Olivia's a girl. She will like pink."

I shook my head amused that now Teddy had pulled himself away from the trains he could work out what to get his little friend easily. "Great. We'll take that one then." I headed towards the counter. "Come on Teddy. Its Lunch time, shall we go and see if Molly will make us something?"

"I see Olivia." He bounced along next to me.

I nodded. "Yes, and then after you've played there we'll go home and set up your Lego."

Teddy ran as fast as his little legs would carry him after I placed him on the ground from Apparating him sidelong with me to the Burrow. He was such a bundle of energy I hoped he wasn't too much for Olivia after her traumatic weekend. Well I really hoped that a play date with Teddy would help.

Finally reaching the door I could hear Teddy chatting away to Molly about going to the toy store, and walking in, Molly looked up at me. "You are staying for lunch I hope."

I nodded at her, placing the unicorn and books on the table.

"Where's Liva?" Teddy asked.

Molly smiled down at him. "She's just upstairs with Ginny in her room." Teddy just took off and I couldn't be bothered yelling at him to hold off.

"I thought Ginny would be at training today?" I half questioned.

"Gewnog told her to take the day off." Molly answered waving her wand in a complicated manner that added more to the salad she was making, and brought other ingredients flying from the pantry. "I think she should take more time off, but she claims she's needed. They are doing so well this year." Molly continued on.

I just nodded, and took a seat at the table. Molly stopped and looked at me, then at the books and soft toy on the table. "You and Teddy have been shopping again?" She asked with a smile looking at the Unicorn.

"Yeah, he loves it." I answered her then sighed. "I had no idea what Olivia would like, so Teddy chose the toy and well she seems to like books."

"I'm sure she will love them. But you don't need to buy her things. She already thinks you're her knight in shining armour." Molly patted me on the shoulder then placed a hand on my cheek making me look up at her. "Things will work out Harry. We all just need to work at it, and put Olivia and her feelings first. Now you are going to eat everything I put on your plate today. You're looking a little thin.

Little footsteps pounded down the stairs, sounding heavier than I imagine an elephant would. "I found her." Teddy exclaimed.

Olivia stopped just behind him and looked over Teddy's shoulder at me. "Hi Harry." She waved slightly.

"Hey Liv." I smiled at her. She reminded me a little of Ginny's shyness when I first meet her. "I brought you some books. And Teddy said you liked Unicorns." I held up my small offering then couldn't help but smile when her eyes went wide at the Unicorn.

"A Pegasus." She exclaimed rushing over.

I frowned and looked at the toy I was holding up. "We thought it was a unicorn." Then handed it to her.

She giggled tugging on its wings. "It has wings. That makes it a Pegasus silly."

"Well they do say you learn something new every day." I looked at Molly.

"She's a bright thing that's for sure." Molly shook her head with a grin and went back to making lunch.

While Olivia pulled out the chair next to me and climbed onto it to look at the books. Picking up one of the three I had brought. "Read to me?" She asked.

"No, Olivia it's time for you and Teddy to wash up for lunch. Harry can read to you after we've eaten." Molly turned from the bench. "Why don't you put the books in the living room? Ginny dear, lunch." She hollered up the stairs.

Olivia's face fell a little, but she shrugged and did as she was told. It was something I had noticed about her. She didn't often fight back or complain like Teddy so often did when he was asked to do something. But she turned back up at the table still clinging to the Pegasus.

I looked up as Ginny came down the stairs. She looked probably a lot like me seriously lacking sleep. "Hello Harry." She commented taking a seat at the other end of the table.

"Look, Harry brought me a Pegasus." Olivia showed her the soft toy.

"I thought it was a Unicorn." I muttered to Ginny, she smirked winked at me before taking the Pegasus and looked at it, brushing her hand over the soft fur.

"It's just lovely isn't it?" She smiled down at our little girl. "But he's so white I don't think we should have him at the table with us. He might get dirty."

"It's a she, and her names Lily. Just like my middle name." Olivia informed Ginny before taking the toy back and hugging it too her.

"Right well take Lily away to the living room please Liv." Ginny told her.

My mind once again swirled, with honour that my little girl had my mother's name, to wonder that she did. Surely it couldn't just be that her adoptive parents choose that name for her. Olivia and Teddy ran out of the room again, while I'm sure I sat there looking at Ginny with shook.

She shrugged after glancing at me. Blushed a little and bit her lip. "It was going to be her first name, but, well we changed it with the adoption. The less links the better. But, well I couldn't stand to have her not linked to you in some small way. Especially as I thought you were dead. " She explained without even looking up at me.

My heart swelled at her words. Pushing back at the frustration I was still holding on to against Ginny. "Thank you." I mumbled before we were joined once again by the excited three years olds who were acting like they hadn't seen each other in a year instead of probably just under a week.

The rest of the week seemed to fly by. I caught up with Neville, which was good as he sprung on me that he wanted me to be the bestman at his wedding. Hermione's face when I told her was priceless, she was horrified that Neville would leave it this late to organize something so important with the wedding being only 3 weeks away now. Neville just explained he just kept forgetting to ask me, and it was comforting to know in some ways, there are little things that never change about people.

I spent the afternoon with Olivia again on Wednesday and Friday. Allowing Molly to pop out and get a few things. They were now having problems with convincing Olivia to leave the burrow at all. I managed to get her to floo over to my house on Friday for a little while. But she hated the idea of going to the shops or walking along the street. I knew it was understandable that she was a afraid after being kidnapped. But it worried me that she was nervous, and it wasn't going to be easy on Molly if she couldn't take her shopping.

Friday night saw a gathering at Grimald place of George and Angelina along with Lee and Alicia. I was almost pleased that Katie didn't turn up, but then felt guilty she had as much right to this group of friends as I did. But was even more surprised when they told me she was on a date with Oliver Wood. I hoped it worked out for her. I really did. The guilt of breaking up with someone who hadn't done anything wrong other than fall in love with you still weighed on me a year later.

Saturday I brought Teddy over to stay again, and Sunday lunch time as always was a trip to the Burrow. Ron teased me slightly of still fearing Bill and Percy and that hiding behind Teddy wouldn't help much. Hermione told him off and well everything seemed oddly normal, but not at the same time.

I was once again welcomed into the Burrow, Bill shaking my hand as per-normal, even if it had taken a push and a stern look from Fleur for him to offer. Fleur had given me a massive hug despite her pregnant stomach and looked me in the eyes, seemingly checking how I was. Percy just sat by his girlfriend looking a little uncomfortable. While Audrey still seemed to be a little awe struck at having me in the same room, I really hoped she would get over that.

Ginny seemed to avoid me and well other than the fact we shared a daughter who seemed a little quieter than normal, but happy to play with Teddy and Victoire while Fred once again tried to climb every surface in the house. Things were pretty much as they had been for the last 3 years, the large gap between Ginny and I still remained. A part of me still desperately wanted to close it, and have the family I had always dreamed of with her. While the surface part of my brain still struggled with frustration at the situation and anger that Ginny hadn't told me as soon as she could of. Also just at life that once again Tom Riddle had stolen family from me, along with the nagging question I longed to have answered. If Ginny hadn't given Olivia up would we be together?

After lunch we all sat in the living area, Bill expanding it so we could all fit. George happily playing with Fred by throwing him up in the air and catching him, while Angelina looked on shaking her head at them both like she just wanted to give up warning George to be careful. As Ron filled Bill, Arthur and I in on what had progressed with the case against Olivia's kidnappers over the last week. I knew most of it anyway Ron filling me in most nights. But I certainly wanted to see justice done.

The three preschoolers were herded back into the room by Hermione and Ginny who had been watching them play outside. Teddy seeing George throwing Fred straight away rushed up tugging on his pants. "Throw me, throw me." He called out.

"No, you're too big for this game now surely." George grinned down at him.

"Na-ah." Teddy shook his head jumping up and down. "Me. Then Victoire and Olivia."

George handed Fred to Angelina, who just put him down on the ground knowing he would wriggle off her lap anyway, and he toddled over to Arthur.

George picked up Teddy and swung him into the air much to Teddy's delight, causing his hair to turn several different shades at once. "Hey Ron, shall we play catch with this one? See if we could throw him across the meadow?" George asked.

"George." Teddy giggled. "Throw me again, but not across the meadow."

"Spoil sport." George muttered throwing him into the air again.

"No just a wise child." Angelina commented back. "And don't let me ever catch you playing catch with our son."

"My turn, my turn." Victoire jumped up and down. Making George place Teddy back on the ground and lift her up.

I looked to Olivia to see if she was as keen on this game as the other two were. But she was watching wide eyed, from behind Ginny's leg. Teddy keen for them all to have a go rushed over to her. "Come on Liva, let George throw you. It's fun."

Olivia shook her head, clearly not wanting to have any part of it. But Teddy grabbed her arm and pulled her out from behind Ginny. "Don't worry he always catches us. Come on."

Olivia pulled back. "No, I don't want to be thrown Teddy." She exclaimed, in a more forceful tone than I had heard her use before.

"It is fun come on." Teddy just pulled on her arm again dragging her a few more steps towards George.

"Uncle George won't hurt you." Ginny told her, nodding at Victoire who was now giggling away at being thrown in the air.

"No." Olivia suddenly screamed. "I don't want to, you can't make me." Pulling away from Teddy and running towards the door, where Percy tried to stop her.

"Hey there, it's alright." Percy said. But Olivia just shook her head and turned again rushing into a corner, then turning and realising she had nowhere else to run. Sinking against the wall and down to the floor she pulled her knees up as Percy and Ginny tried to approach her.

"I don't want to be thrown, you can't make me." She said before she was suddenly surrounded by the blue shield she had covered herself with last week leaving everyone in the room in shook.

Ginny tried to reach her. "Liv, honey, no one is going to make you do anything alright." But then pulled back in shock when she touched the shield, the magical current was clearly strong.

I quickly moved over there and knelt on the floor, pretty much as I had done the week before. "Liv, Ginny's right. No one is going to throw you."

She pulled her knees in tighter. "The bad man threw me. I hurt my arm on the wall." She whimpered.

Ginny gasped and was on her knees next to me in a second. "We're sorry honey. Can you, can you let down the shield? I can take you upstairs till everyone's gone if you like."

Olivia shook her head, and then reached out slightly to Ginny, but pulled back herself when she touched the shield. Starring at her fingers from the shock. "I can't remember how." She stated wiping her eyes, before pulling her knees in again, backing into the corner. "I didn't like Teddy pulling me."

"I know. He won't do it again. Now can you try and relax. Think about it, Ginny's right here to give you a hug." I tried to sooth her. "Then maybe the shield will relax."

I felt Ron next to me, and as he touched the shield lightly then shivered. "It's stronger than last week." He muttered to me.

I nodded. "I imagine it was weakened by her pain and that idiot who kept chucking spells at it."

"Bill, can you break it?" Molly asked from somewhere in the room.

"I wouldn't even try its accidental magic. I could damage her if I got it wrong." Bill stated as I saw a glow spread over the shield from his wand. "No, it's tied to her magic too much. She's too young to be able to push the magic out from herself. We'll just have to wait it out."

"But she's crying and I can't get to her." Ginny called out in frustration, trying to get through the shield again, only to be thrown back slightly and caught by Percy.

Olivia was still watching out wide eyed, and teary, looking fearfully at all the people crowded around her.

"Right, everyone out, can't you see the poor child is scared out of her wits." Molly exclaimed. "Let's just leave Ginny and Harry with her."

"Good idea." Hermione stated. "Harry, you said you did this once as a kid. Do you think it could be enough to replicate the shield and merge with her shield? Maybe extend it to fit Ginny."

"I don't bloody know." I muttered as Ron smirked next to me and then pulled himself up using my shoulder.

Voices receded as everyone left the room. Olivia looking at Ginny through her tears stated "I'm sorry." and tried to reach out again, only to pull back as if in pain.

"How did you get through it last week?" Ginny asked me.

"I didn't, I got Olivia to focus on happy thoughts and getting home to you." I shook my head. "But she is home, and you're here."

"And you could do this as a kid?" Ginny asked almost awed. "I'm never even heard of a child doing this before."

"Just be thankful she could protect herself last week." I told Ginny, shuddering at the thought of what could have happened to her if she hadn't produced her own protection.

I closed my eyes, and pinched my nose, trying to remember more about the blue light surrounding me as a kid. Flashes popped into my head of Dudley and a friend hitting me, of Uncle Vernon standing there in frustration swinging a belt he wanted to use on my behind, then a warmer memory, one of eating a rare treat of chocolate cake with Dudley trying to get it off me even though he had been allowed three pieces to my one. I breathed deeply at the thought and pushed against my magic at the tingle I felt from the memory.

"Harry, you doing it, well, not quite as projected but you are covered in a blue light." Ginny exclaimed, and I opened my eyes to find out she was right, it was only about half an inch away from my fingers and body, but it was there none the less.

I reached out to Olivia and found out that the blue linked and I could break through her shield. "Can I come in?" I asked. Olivia still wide eyed and I think more scared of her own shield now than the thought of being thrown in the air nodded, and I crawled in under the shield next to her. "I think you're better at a shield than me." I smiled at her, placing myself against the wall before picking her up and cradling her in my arms, feeling my heart almost burst when she snuggled against my chest.

"I want my Pegasus." She said looking at out at Ginny.

Ginny now had her own tears tracking down her face. "Could you? Could you get me in as well?" She asked.

I pushed against the memory and my magic again, but when I reached out for her, she only got the same electrical current shock, pulling back suddenly. "I suppose that won't work then." Her frustrations clear in her voice. "I'll go up and get your toy. It's her new favorite." She stated as she left the room.

I could hear her explaining what was happening in the Kitchen before rushing up the stairs. Olivia just snuggled deeper against my chest. "I'm tired." She yawned.

"I'm sure you are." I kissed her forehead and ran one of my hands over her head. The energy alone to keep such a powerful shield up would exhaust any witch or wizard.

Hermione and Bill's heads popped back into room, to look at us, surrounded by Olivia's blue light. "Interesting." Hermione stated.

"Very." Bill agreed.

"I will have to look into it, but linked by your magic. I just took a guess I didn't think he would be able to get it so much the same that he could join her under it." Hermione stated clearly thinking through the solid library of information in her brain.

"Wonder if it's a blood relation thing." Bill nodded.

I just rolled my eyes. I didn't really care what it was, I was just thankful it allowed me to get to Olivia.

Ginny returned with the Pegasus, and held it out to me. "I'm not sure how this will work." She said as Olivia reached out for it, and then pulled back in shook as she touched the shield again.

I once again recalled the memory and pushed out against my magic and managed then reached out of the shield grabbing the soft toy. Ginny gasped and dropped her end of it, as the blue light around my fingers now covered the toy. I pulled it back into the shield and Olivia snuggled it to her chest and then closed her eyes snuggling back against me.

Ginny just sat down against the other wall of the corner near us. "Well this makes me feel a little useless. It's like you two have a special thing I have no part of."

I leant my own head back against the wall. "It's not like I planned it Ginny." I sighed. "The use of magic is exhausting her, it should drop soon."

Ginny nodded at me. "I know and I am pleased she has you in there now" She paused and shook her head. I knew how she felt I had struggled all week with the fact Olivia had a great relationship with Ginny and none with me. Now I was the one holding our daughter and Ginny couldn't do anything to help her. "Are you feeling better now with Harry and Lily?" She asked Olivia.

Liv just glanced up at me then nodded her head before closing her eyes again and slowly we heard her breathing even out. It took 20 minutes after she fell asleep for the shield to disappear. Making me worry about what Molly or Ginny would do if this happened again.

Ginny moved next to me as soon as the blue light disappeared and I moved slightly to hand Olivia over to her, but Ginny just placed a hand on our little girls head and whispered. "No, she's comfortable." Before taking one of her little hands and holding it.

We sat there in silence for another few minutes before I almost jumped when I felt Ginny's head lean on my shoulder. I took a deep breath and felt a peace settle over me, causing me to relax again, as feelings of calm, and contentment washed over me. Somewhere my mind tried to tell me it was wrong and that I was angry with Ginny. While my heart flip flopped, in pleasure at holding my little girl while she slept and her mother rested against me. Wasn't this what I had always wanted?

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	26. Chapter 26

****Well I've finally finished another part. Sorry it's taken a while again. But real life has once again been getting in the way. (It's a problem so many of us in this digital age face again and again.).

I probably won't be able to get the next part after this out for a least a another week and a half. We have a big Family thing going on this week.

I hope you enjoy the part, but I'll warn you it's really only a filler. But I think we need them or it will sound to rushed.

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**Ginny**

Well Sunday had been interesting that was for sure. I don't know what had come over me when I rested my head on Harry's shoulder, I mean there was still so much misunderstanding and hurt between us, and yet it had felt so right, so normal, so peaceful to be sitting there our daughter asleep on his lap and me resting against him.

Everyone had pretty much left us alone. Hermione had whipped back into the room to collect a few things left by some of the others. It had been pretty hard to miss her raised eyebrows at the sight of us probably looking very cozy on the floor. But I hadn't moved away, even though I had felt Harry stiffen slightly only to relax again when I didn't jump away myself.

I returned from practice early the next day. Gwenog had been great about letting me get home a little earlier each day since Olivia's kidnapping, but not great enough to let me have any more time off. We were after all only two wins away from making the UK finals.

There was still a couple of Auror's on guard at the stadium each day. Which I must ask Ron or Harry about, we had been told the threat was over. Yes, there was no longer someone in the air with us as Harry had been, and a lot of the extra wards had been dropped. But their presence brought a mix of comfort to some of the team and confusion to the rest of us.

Olivia was playing with some of her toys on the floor when I stepped out of the Floo, having a tea party. My eyes went wide as I realised the tea set was Mum's best one. "Olivia I don't think it's a good idea to play with Gran's good teacups." I looked down at her.

"Oh, posh." My mother replied from the corner where I hadn't noticed her. She sat there with her knitting needles busy in front of her, as she watched Olivia. "They don't get used by any of you lot, what's the point of them gathering dust."

"They don't get used by us lot as we were always told if we even touched them there would be hell to pay let alone if we broke one." I answered back with a shake of my head.

"I would have let you play with them if you were like Olivia." Mum informed me. "But you were too much of a tomboy. The teacups would have been taken out in the yard, filled with dirt and chipped by the time I got them back. Bone china is never quite the same if it's been repaired magically."

I shrugged. Mum had a point. No matter how much she played with my hair, and tired to get me to wear pretty dresses, I was always out of them as soon as possible and chasing after my brothers to play with them. I smiled down at Olivia she certainly was a little girl. Sure she loved playing with Teddy, but she loved her toys and playing house also.

Dropping my practice bag I sat on the floor next to her. "So can I join in? Or is this a toy only tea party?"

Olivia giggled a little and pretended to pour me a cup of tea before handing me a cup. "It's peppermint tea." She informed me as she handed it over. "Don't break the cup." She finished in a slight whisper.

I winked at her, and glanced at my Mother who winked back at me. I guess Olivia had been warned to be careful with Mum's Bone China after all. "Oh I will." I said taking a sip of my imaginary tea. "It's very good tea thank you Liv."

"Biscuit?" Olivia asked offering me an empty plate.

"Why yes that would be lovely." I grabbed at a piece of air and pretended to shove it in my mouth. "So did you do anything interesting with Gran today?" I asked her.

Olivia shook her head. "Gran wanted to go out, but I didn't."

I glanced up at Mum, who shrugged, and stopped her knitting needles with a flick of her wand before gathering them up and putting them away. "Now you're here Ginny, I'll just shoot down to the market and get some Vegetables."

I nodded realising that once again Olivia didn't want to leave the house with Mum during the day, I thought back to her panic attack yesterday and her frightened little face as she sat covered by her shield in the corner.

I scolded myself and made a note to look over the information I had been given after her kidnapping. Olivia was probably going to need some counseling. But then we had times like this as well, where she was happy especially when she looked up at me with her large eyes, a total hazel mix of brown with green flecks. "Can you take me to the meadow to fly my broom?"

"Sure, why not. But we better put away Gran's tea set first. Imagine if someone came through the floo and stood on a cup?" I tickled her, before gathering a few of the cups together.

I rested against a tree as Olivia whipped up and down in front of me, thinking about the fact she was clearly still very affected by everything that had happened in her life recently. She even stayed closer to me now, not zooming in and out of the trees like she had when she first got the broom. Always staying within my sight, well keeping me within hers was probably more like it.

"She looks happier today." I heard Hermione's voice behind me.

Looking up I nodded at her. "Yeah, but still wouldn't go down the road with Mum earlier. Not that I blame her after last time. But well, she can't stay at the burrow for the rest of her life."

Hermione shrugged, and sat down next to me on the grass. "No, but Harry did manage to get her over to our place last Friday when I had a half day at work. But you're right she didn't look too sure about it all. I suppose Grimald place is a little overwhelming with all its levels and stairs."

I almost laughed out loud, but pulled it back into a smirk only. "You looked at the Burrow lately Hermione?"

She looked at me, back out my childhood home and cracked up laughing. "I'm so glad Ron isn't here to hold that one over me."

I laughed at that and nudged her shoulder. "You know I'm sure you're even allowed to say something stupid at least once a year. I mean Ron gets to do it at least once a day."

Olivia zoomed up to us, and stopped. "Hello Aunty Mione." She said missing out the first part of Hermione's name. Something that Teddy and Victoire did also.

"Hey Liv, playing on your broom again?" Hermione smiled at her.

Olivia just nodded then asked. "Is Harry here?"

Hermione glanced at me, before shaking her head. "No, I popped in to see your Gran. But there was no one in the house and I found your two out here."

Olivia nodded, looking a little disappointed. "Gran went to the market. I didn't want to go." She finished looking at the ground, I almost hated the fact she could pick up on us worrying about her wanting to stay home all the time.

"That's alright Olivia. I think next time you walk to the Village we should all go in a big group, maybe with Harry and Ron then we can all get ice-cream." Hermione suggested. It seemed such a simple idea really. I mean poor Mum hadn't been able to save her last time it was hardly surprising she wasn't sure about going out with just her.

Olivia looked at Hermione for a moment and then glanced at me, like she was processing the idea. "Maybe." She finally answered before taking off on her broom again. I imagined she was still thinking about the idea of walking down the road, the need for ice-cream tempting her. But like Harry she just wanted to process it alone.

"She seems to like Harry." Hermione commented raising her eyebrow at me.

I nodded, looking back at the grass. "Yeah, he's pretty great with her. He's her hero, I don't think she's even processed Ron was there to save her as well. It's all Harry." As I suppose it should be really. My brain tried to process that thought.

"Well that's probably a good thing you know, the fact he is trying to build a relationship with her." Hermione answered.

I nodded. "I know it is good." I answered her maybe it would be better if I wasn't struggling with emotions resurfacing. Emotions that I had thought belonged to a very old distant dream in my mind. But I had been wrong Harry hadn't changed, he didn't love his fame and use it get beautiful woman to sleep with him. In fact the more time I spent with him the more I realised he was still the Harry I had fallen in love with all those years ago.

"But it's still pretty awkward isn't it." Hermione muttered, making me look back up at her. "I mean this…." She waved her arm and looked at Olivia zooming around a tree, looking a little more confident than she had earlier. "Well it was a chapter of your life you weren't expecting to have to face until she turned 17, which is almost 14 years away." She finished her eyes filled with compassion as they locked on to mine for a moment before looking back at Olivia.

"Yeah, doesn't mean I didn't dread it either way. But…." I paused, thinking about what I had always seen as happening. Shivering at the thought like I always had, but even when I had convinced myself Harry was playing the field I knew he would settle down at some stage. "I always thought she would be an adult, meeting him and his wife and kids. But I never doubted he would accept her, I mean I knew he would want answers and to talk to me. But I never doubted he would love her."

Hermione nodded. "Yeah, Harry would never walk away from family." She snorted. "Heck he finds it hard to walk away from friends."

"It's because his friends are his family." I answered. "I mean Olivia is the only blood family he has that wants him and she doesn't even know she's related to him. She doesn't care he's Harry bloody Potter, she just knows he saved her and loves her. That he understands what it's like to lose your parents."

Hermione's eyes turned back to look at me again, narrowing slightly. "You always understood him. Better than Ron and I often. You're right I suppose we forget now that he's not a blood part of the family or attached to anyone in it." She frowned slightly then grinned. "Well until now. He's the father or one of the grandchild no getting rid of him now."

I just rolled my eyes at her. But felt wave of warmth from her comment about me understanding Harry. Did I? Could I still? We had both brought each other so much comfort in the short time we were together. "How is…..?" I stopped, wondering if I really had to right to ask this of one of his closest friends. Oh, blow it. "How is he handling it?"

"Oh you know, pretty well considering. He has his moody patches, but I imagine that's just Harry wishing he had done something different. He still gets moody every now and then, questioning if we could have done it sooner. You know brought Voldermort down without so much loss, especially when George has a bad day, or he starts blaming himself that Teddy doesn't have Remus and Tonks. Now he gets to add in the fact you wouldn't have had to give Olivia up." Hermione pretty much muttered, leaving me wondering if I was hearing her properly, but I knew she was right. Harry would blame himself, stupid noble git that he can be. "Tom Riddle took so much from him, his parents, his whole childhood and growing up years. Now he's found out he also took his daughter intentional or not." She paused and bit her lip for a moment before adding in a more upbeat tone. "But he has something to focus on now. That's been missing for a long time. Someone he wants to love and cherish no matter what, and well I think it's awesome she's taken to him."

Hermione almost made it sound like Harry had been lost over the last few years. I mean he had a life, a busy one at that. He was rich, famous and had fantastic friends. He had even had a real relationship with Katie. Something I hadn't managed to achieve. Sure I had been on dates, even had a few people I had seen for a few months. But well I my guard was always up, my life had been so much about helping support Andre and Louisa raise Olivia that I just couldn't relax enough to make it work I suppose. "So he doesn't hate me?" I asked even wondering where the thought came from myself I mean I know we hadn't really talked a lot since our confrontation but we seemed to have found some sort of even ground to stand on around each other.

"I don't think Harry could ever hate you." Hermione answered after seeming to think about it for a while. "It's complicated that's for sure." She stopped and looked at me. "I can't even imagine what you were going through when you had her. So young, so alone, knowing we could have all been killed, heck Fred was killed. It was a nightmare of a battle. Then thinking Harry had died. I only thought that for about 10 minutes and it almost killed me."

"It was the hardest thing I ever had to do." I told her truthfully. "Cutting my finger to seal the adoption was torture. I thought I would never see him again, and yet I still had to give up something amazing and precious that he had left me with. I was so sure we would all be dead in a few weeks if we lost the war. I couldn't do that to my little girl, knowing that I had a chance to save her." I paused, the memories rushing back at me, flooding me with a small amount of the emotions I had felt then. "Then the noble git came back to life. Which was wonderful don't get me wrong I didn't want him dead, I'm thankful for the freedom we live in because he did come back to life. But well I was pretty pissed off, and at the same time this huge emotional wreck. I found out just how strong the magic of the adoption was when I came home for those two nights for Fred's funeral, Mum fussed about the fact I had been too sick to come home straight away and seeing Harry again on the day I had wanted to slap him and hug him all at the same time….…well I tried to tell Mum that night after you three had left, it was killing me that I had just left my baby of only a few days old."

"How much did you vomit?" Hermione asked. I almost smiled that she would know of the first round of the curse to stop you from telling anyone. If you attempted willingly to tell them, I imagine she had read a fare amount about it in the last week if not before.

"Enough for Mum to pack me off to bed and not let me out much the next day. I was pretty amazed when she let me return so soon." I told her.

"They thought it was better for you. Your Mum and Dad they thought you were sheltered over there in France from the horrors here. It never made much sense to us we all knew you weren't that naïve." Hermione answered.

Olivia zoomed over to us again, and dismounted the broom, handing it too me. "I'm going to pick some flowers for Gran." She told me.

Feeling a little unsettled by the conversation we were having I tried hard to smile at my beautiful little girl. "I think that would be lovely. When you're done we will find a vase to put them in. Maybe have them sitting on the kitchen Table for a surprise for Gran when she gets back." Olivia nodded and took off in the direction of Mum's flower bed.

"You sure her attacking the flower bed is a good idea? Your Mum loves that thing." Hermione smiled at Olivia skipping towards it.

"Liv could probably blow up her kitchen and Mum would think it was cute." I answered her.

Hermione nodded. Before pulling herself up off the ground and dusting her work robes off. "I should probably get going and just leave the pattern I brought for your Mum to look at. It's just an idea for Olivia and Victoire's dresses for the wedding." She blushed slightly. "I've changed my mind again."

I stood as well, and started to head back to the burrow where Olivia was pretty much attacking Mum's flower bed with glee. "How many times have you changed your mind so far?" I asked her.

"Oh, only once before, I had first thought of a very muggle flower girls dress. But Victoire doesn't need all those bows and billowing organza. So we had swapped to a simple dress robe that suited her Veela heritage. Now we have Liv as well and I think she would suit something more along the lines of what I wanted originally. So I've found something I think will suit both." Hermione explained her thinking.

I just nodded I can't say I ever really got the whole big wedding thing. I liked the idea of family and close friends on a beach somewhere. Or maybe eloping like George and Angelina had done, but then again she had been pregnant. A fact that made Mum forgive them sooner than if they hadn't been expecting and deprived Mum of a wedding celebration. "Olivia's such a girly girl compared to me." I shook my head. "She's so excited about being a flower girl for you. I had to be one for a cousin when I was her age. Mum had to clean the dress by charms twice before I walked down the aisle and just about killed me when I jumped in a pond with the twins after the ceremony."

Hermione sniggered next to me. "Well I'm sure I'll be pleased she's more girly on the day even though I could see her wanting to zoom down the aisle on her broom."

"I'll hide it, don't worry." I joked back with a smile enjoying my time with such an old friend, despite the shook to my family and tricky relationship with Harry. There was a freedom and lightness in my soul now that my family knew the truth and I no longer struggled under the magical pact or the fear of them finding out.

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Please Read and Review.

Hopefulled.


	27. Chapter 27

**I got there. It's taken me a while, but I finally got everything into this part that I wanted, and I hope you'll all forgive me for being a bit late posting as it's the length of two parts.  
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**I hope you enjoy it.  
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**Harry**

I had found returning to work interesting, especially with the news spreading quickly in the office that I would no longer be taking undercover work.

That had started a large round of questions and some rumors that my engagement was about to announced and great speculation on just who it could possibly be that had won my heart. Ron of course found the whole thing extremely entertaining making several remarks to me through out Monday and Tuesday that won't everyone be surprised that the new woman in my life is only 3 years old.

I just tried to ignore it as I had done for years. Somewhere along the line after the war I had finally learnt it didn't really matter what people thought and said about me as long as those closest to me knew the truth. The media was always going to twist the truth to sell more papers. It had almost been slightly liberating that they thought I was some wild play boy as it was so far from the truth the papers tended to never report actual facts. In fact the few times Katie and had been snapped together it hadn't even made the papers or they had printed with some line about me just catching up with an old school friend.

I suppose they had snapped more pictures of me with Hermione and Angelina over that period of time as I didn't need to hide the fact I had a relationship with them they were practically family after all.

I had run into Lisa Macintosh on Tuesday and told her about Olivia being scared to leave the house and the fact she had once again closed herself under a shield on Sunday after being frightened. Lisa had given me some names of counselors and suggested I talk to Ginny about it, which had led me to the Burrow that evening after my Tuesday shift. Feeling a little more sure of myself I flooed in straight from the ministry and couldn't help but smile at the sight of Olivia looking at a book on the floor while Molly snored on with her head thrown back, and her knitting needles still working magically in front of her. It looked like Ron's Maroon Jersey might just be a dress this year.

"Hey there Liv." I greeted my little girl, who beamed up at me before dropping the book and rushing into my legs.

"Harry." She cried, as I picked her up to give her a hug, my heart swelling at her excitement.

"What, what." Molly splattered from the chair. "I wasn't asleep, just resting my eyes." She shook her head.

Olivia giggled at her. "You were sleeping, you were snoring Gran."

"Ron's Jersey looks good." I commented making Molly gasp at the sight of how much had been knitted while she slept.

"Oh, dear I am going to have to un-pull a little bit aren't I?" She flicked her wand at the needles making them stop suddenly, and gathering them up. "What is the time?"

"Just after 5." I answered knowing it would probably send her into a panic that she wasn't preparing dinner already.

"Oh, well then it's a good thing I prepared dinner earlier isn't it. Must go and turn the oven on. Are you staying Harry?" Molly asked standing up and heading out of the living area.

Olivia grabbed my face with her little hands looking me straight in the eyes. "Stay Harry, stay please?" She asked me and I couldn't have said no even I did have somewhere to be with the way she was looking at me.

"Sure I'll stay." I smiled back at her.

"Right I'll set another place then." I heard Molly say as she left the room. One thing with the Burrow Molly was never put out by last minute guests, I was personally sure she had never gotten used to all her children leaving home so was willing to grab anybody and feed them at dinner time just to make the house feel full again.

The Floo flared behind me again and I was surprised to see Ginny coming through looking like she had just returned home, she was normally back around 3 in the afternoon after practice. But I knew they had a big game this weekend. She dusted herself off, dropped her bag and looked around for Olivia, her eyebrows rising in surprise when she saw me holding her.

"Harry's staying for dinner." Olivia told her, and half hugged me again before wriggling to get down. I placed her on the floor imagining she wanted to greet Ginny.

"That's nice." Ginny answered her bending down to pick Olivia up herself. "How was your day? Were you good for Gran?"

Olivia hugged Ginny quickly and then pulled back. "We flooed to Teddy's house." She announced.

"Oh, that's good you went out." Ginny smiled at her. "Did you have fun with Teddy."

Olivia nodded. "We rode our brooms around his back yard and scared the gnomes." She giggled slightly as she said it. "They were funny, but I can't throw them. One bit me." She held up her hand to show the faintest red mark on her left hand.

I couldn't help but notice Ginny taking her hand and kissing it on the red mark such a mothering thing to do. "There all better now." Ginny told her and then kissed her cheek.

Olivia just shook her head. "It was all better when Gran fixed it with her wand and kissed it silly." then wriggled herself out of Ginny's arms back down to the floor. "I'm going to get some books for Harry to read to me." Before running out of the room as fast as her little legs could go.

"The joys of being a working parent, someone else gets to kiss their aches and pains better." Ginny sighed slightly and half collapsed into a chair looking very tired. "We need to talk about getting her some counseling. She can't live her whole life between here and Andromeda's through the floo system." She finished looking up at me.

I nodded and pulled out the contacts Lisa had given me earlier in the day. "That's actually why I popped around. Lisa, who worked on the case gave me a few names and places we could look into. These are the best according to her." I handed the list to Ginny.

She scanned it, and frowned before looking back up me. "I floo called a couple from the Stadium before coming home, that's why I'm late. I agree they both sound very professional and probably what she needs, but….." She stopped and blushed slightly. "I can't just afford them Harry."

"Money's not an issue Ginny. Just choose the one you liked the most. I'll pay for it." I told her, taking a seat across from her, not taking my eyes off her as she seemed to have an internal fight with herself.

She eventually sighed and sat back her eyes closing with exhaustion. "I'm so used to doing this on my own." She muttered. "I didn't even think of you when I looked at the cost. I just thought of the bills I already have to pay off from the funerals and legal costs."

"Wait." My brain tried to catch up with what she had just said. "Did you have to pay for them?" I questioned her.

She opened her eyes and looked at me like she hadn't meant to say what she just had and swallowed before explaining. "Louisa had health problems. She needed to go into hospital at least twice a year and well I'm sure you can imagine Andre's teaching salary just didn't cover everything. I've always helped where I could. Minerva paid my board when I was at school. I've been trying paying her back as well."

Wow, my mind swirled Ginny really had been dealing with so much more than I had even thought about. I groaned. "Bloody hell Gin, I've probably got enough dam gold in my vaults to live over a thousand years and never have to work a day in my life. You could have asked."

She glared at me slightly. "Yeah, I avoid you for years because it's so bloody complicated then when I'm still trying to get my head around the fact two of my best friends are dead, our daughters grieving for them and the reality that I can actually now tell people about her I'm just going to rock on up and say, 'Hey Harry meet you daughter, by the way can I also have a huge pile of Galleons to pay for all the debts her parents left and some hugely expensive counseling?' I don't expect your money Harry things will get easier now I'm earning more and not whipping over to France all the time. They were my friends it's my bills to pay."

"Ginny." I breathed out frustrated. "Don't be stupid. I'll cover the counseling, and anything else you've spent in the last few months and I'll talk to McGonagall about what you owe her. Olivia is my responsibility as well. Circumstances may have kept me from her until now, but it doesn't mean everything I have is pretty much going to be hers anyway. Well over than the Black gold, that's going to Teddy."

Ginny just glared at me, and I could tell her mind was probably gearing towards her next smart remarks about me or the situation. But it was then we heard little feet running towards the room again, and I turned to see Olivia bringing in the books I had brought her last week. "I've got my new books." She announced.

I couldn't help but smile slightly at her excited face, as she stopped in front of me and handed them over. "Why do I get the feeling you are going to be Aunty Hermione's favorite niece?" I asked taking them off her so she could climb on to the couch next to me. "She loves books."

"Teddy says she doesn't like flying though, why not?" Olivia asked squirming around on the chair till she seemed to feel more comfortable and then looking up at me to answer her question.

"Well it is one thing she's not natural at, she's gotten better over the years, but no she never liked it that much even when we first started in our first year at Hogwarts." I answered her thinking back to that first crazy flying lesson we had and how naturally flying had come to me. The one thing in life I never had to work hard at.

Olivia just looked at me confused. "Didn't she have a broom when she was little?"

I smiled at her. "No, she was muggleborn remember. Like you're Mum, did your Mum fly?"

Olivia shook her head. "No, Daddy flew to school though." I nodded at her.

"Louisa actually did fly, and well she was on the Gryffindor team in her day." Ginny answered causing me turn and look back at her again. "Her and Andre both, that's how they meet, they were two years apart in schooling. But Louisa would get sick on a broom, heck she could get vertigo from climbing stairs when she wasn't well."

Olivia tugged on my arm, and pointed to the books I was holding. "Read." She told me.

"Say please Liv, Harry is not your personal slave." Ginny corrected her manners.

Olivia huffed slightly at Ginny then battered her eyelids with wide eyes at me. "Please." Reminding me a bit of when Ginny would try and get her way with Arthur when we were teenagers.

I opened the first book with a shake of my head wondering just what other things I would see pop out of Olivia that would remind me of Ginny or myself. I was still totally awed by the fact that a night I had regretted and been so angry with myself for allowing it to happen because I always thought it had cost me Ginny had actually produced this amazing little girl beside me. I started reading while also thinking in the back of my brain there was so much more I wanted to know about Olivia's life up until now and just what else Ginny had been dealing with over the years.

It was as we were sitting down to dinner that there was a knock at the door, Olivia had already tucked into hers sitting next to me, causing me to raise my eyebrows at Ginny with the way she was eating, and I almost cracked up when Ginny mouthed 'I think she gets it from Ron.' back at me.

Molly jumped up to open the door and exclaimed. "Come in, come in how are you, would you like some dinner?" I looked up to see Neville being pushed towards the table. "Of course you would it is dinner time. Take a seat and tell me how everything is going for the wedding." I couldn't help but smile at the fact Neville was seated at the table and Molly had a plate of food in front of him before he could even get a word out.

"Ah, ah." Neville looked at the plate of food in front of him. "I didn't mean to interrupt, I just wanted to drop off the wedding invitation I promised Ginny." He finally managed to get a word out as he placed a white envelope on the table then looked around the room. "Hey, Harry." Noticing me and then settling his eyes on Olivia and half smiling at her. "Hello there." He acknowledged her.

I felt her stiffen beside me and heard something drop, turning to her I realised it must have been her fork as she burrowed into my side looking wide eyed at Neville.

"It's alright Liv, Neville is an old school friend of ours. There's nothing to be afraid of." Ginny's voice came from across the table.

I moved slightly and pulled Olivia on to my knee. "Ginny's right, Neville is a very good friend of mine in fact I'm going to be the best man at his wedding in a few weeks."

Olivia looked up at me and then back at Neville, and seemed to nod her head then gave Neville a slight wave.

"Yeah if he doesn't get called away on another trip before then, actually you better not Hannah trusts you with me more than she does Ron. She says he's too easily led by Seamus and Dean." Neville said and half shrugged looking at the food in front of him and picked up a fork. "I suppose I could eat here."

"Oh, Harry will be there. You wouldn't take something like that on at the moment would you?" Molly asked me with a shake of her head glancing at Olivia who had seemed to take to my presence in her life as something she valued.

I hugged Olivia closer to me before I shook my head at Molly. "No in fact I won't be taking any of those roles at all from now on." I answered her. "It's back to just being a normal Auror for me."

"Really?" I heard Ginny ask in surprise.

Molly just smiled at me and Arthur cleared his throat. "Good to hear son, I think that's the right thing. It will be nice to have you home more."

"That'll be a change." Neville looked at me and glancing at Olivia then at Ginny, he was clearly a little confused, I probably should have told him what was going on last week when we caught up, he was after all a good friend, but well we still hadn't told anyone but family or the few that had found out when, well when I had. "But it will be nice to have you around more." He then smiled in a way that I remembered normally meant he was quite proud of himself for working something out. "Of course you could have just told us you were bringing Ginny as your date, Hannah's Mum wouldn't have had such a fit about making another invitation at such short notice."

"What?" I asked, wondering just where his head had run off to.

"Excuse me." Ginny questioned at the same time.

Neville looked around the table again, and turned red. "Oh, I just thought…." Looking at Olivia then back at me and sneaking a glance at Ginny whose raised eyebrows must have scared him a little. "Never mind." He mumbled to himself. "So everything is organized for the wedding. Not that I've had to do much. I mean I even kept forgetting to ask Harry to stand up with me."

Molly picked up the conversation from here and Olivia clearly feeling a little more confidant pushed my plate aside and pulled hers over so she could eat on my knee and started heartily consuming her food again.

"Liv, I think Harry might be hungry as well." Ginny gently reminded her.

"She's fine."I countered earning another frown from Ginny. But Olivia had chosen to burrow into me, when Neville had come in, she had stayed on my knee for safety. I was enjoying the fact she had turned to me and not Ginny as a source of comfort.

Ginny just shook her head at me and turned back to Neville and Molly, clearly attempting to rescue Neville from Molly's question after question.

After we had eaten Molly pushed Neville and I towards the living room so we could catch up while she put the kettle on and organized some cake for everyone. Ginny said she was going to give Olivia a quick bath and Arthur disappeared for a few minutes leaving me alone with Neville who looked a little uncomfortable and turned slightly red.

"Sorry mate I think I might have jumped to the wrong conclusion back there. I thought with you being here for dinner and Olivia hiding behind you like that…." He shook his head. "Well I sort of thought you and Ginny might have finally gotten back together."

I rolled my eyes at him. Not that it wasn't something I would like to happen I just seriously wondered how it could ever happen, I reckoned Ginny was only being so good about me seeing Olivia so often because she didn't have much choice in the matter with the fact I was basically part of the family.

"No… it's complicated." I answered him. "I'll explain later."

Neville looked me in the eye for a moment before nodding his head. "I'll hold you to it." He commented before changing the subject totally. "So you're free to get fitted for robes on Thursday?"

"Yes, it's in my diary and Hermione's." I rolled my eyes at the last bit. Hermione always thought we would forget important things. It would probably be handier if she wrote everything down, as it was the little things that Ron and I seemed to forget.

Neville who had chuckled a bit at the Hermione part smiled at me. "She's still organising your life then?" He finished with a smile. "Actually I don't mind Hannah organizing mine. It's nice not to have to worry about remembering social stuff and birthdays. I just have to do my job and remember when I've got to meet her." He sat back and got that pleased look on his face that seemed to turn up whenever he was thinking about his Fiancé. "She doesn't like it when I get to busy in my greenhouses and forget to meet her. Even though one time she turned up in nothing but a robe, can't tell you how pleased I was no students turned up to help that night."

I cleared my throat as Molly had just entered the room with a tray and was looking at Neville in a completely new light. If he had been one of her boys I'm sure the yelling about what was appropriate to be shared and what wasn't would have been raising the roof by now.

Neville sat up turned a shade of green and red mixed together on seeing Molly and couldn't seem to get a coherent word out after that, so just sat there like a good boy ate his cake and inhaled his cup of tea as Molly, I and Arthur whom had appeared again held the conversation. We were joined by Ginny and Olivia just as Neville was making his excuses to leave and I tried not to crack up every time I looked at him.

When Ginny asked if he really had to leave so early Neville just glanced back and Molly, nodded and said he really did have to get back to Hogwarts and Water the lake making Ginny look at him like he had lost his marbles.

I then sat down with Olivia and read her yet another book for her bedtime story, trying to ignore the fact the Ginny was clearly watching the time and had reminded me that she didn't want her to have a late night.

I was half way through a second book when Bill's head popped into the fire. "Evening all." He grinned out at us. "Fleur's water just broke we're heading into St Mungo's. I reckon this one is coming fast, contractions just started an hour ago."

"Oh, oh, we'll be there soon, now get going I'll get your father to let everyone else know." Molly sat up dropping her knitting from where she had been un-pulling Ron's dress back into a jersey. Ginny had suggested she leave it long and buy Ron a nice pair of black tights and knee high boots to go with it, making me laugh so hard I had lost my place in the story I was reading to Olivia.

Everything seemed to move around us then. Arthur was kneeling at the fire flooing each of the boy's homes and Ginny and Molly rushed upstairs to get ready to leave.

Olivia sat there watching it all. "Did Fleur break a jug of water and hurt herself?" She asked me eventually.

"What?" I asked looking down at her. "No, no, it just means she's going to have the baby. You have a little cousin coming."

She nodded at me. "Victoire will be a big sister."

"That's right." I smiled down at her.

She looked thoughtful for a moment. "I'm never going to be a big sister." She half whispered. "Mummy couldn't have any more children and now she's dead."

I gathered her up into my arms, knowing that Ginny or I would probably have some more kids at some stage in our lives. While a part of my heart screamed out that I wanted to give her full brothers and sisters, and offer her and myself a true family where Ginny and I could be together, but where as I had never quite gotten past Ginny she had clearly moved past me over the years. In fact half the time she seemed like she couldn't even handle being in the same room as me. But there were those few moments, my mind kept reminding me, such as her leaning against me as we danced, and her head on my shoulder the other day as I held Olivia.

Ginny returned with a dressing gown for Olivia and her slippers in hand along with a bag of things, but stopped right in front of us and muttered. "What on earth am I thinking, how are we going to do this?"

"Do what Ginny?" Olivia asked.

Ginny looked at her and crouched down on her knees. "Would you like to go to the hospital and wait for your cousin to be born?" She asked. "All the family will be there. It will be quite safe."

Olivia stiffened on my knee. "I can stay with her, you go." I suggested, remembering the way she had reacted to Neville at dinner. What was she going to do in a public area like St Mungo's.

"I like babies." Olivia looked up at me, and glanced at the fire place. "Are we flooing there?"

I nodded. "Or we can apperate. But we would have to go outside for that, if we floo we can go straight to the hospital."

"Are you coming?" She asked me. I nodded at her, quite chuffed that I seemed to be her favorite person at the moment. She then looked back at Ginny. "You'll both stay with me?" She asked her.

Ginny's face looked hopeful, it was a huge step that Olivia was even considering going. "Yes, and Hermione and Ron will be there, and George, Bill and Percy. We will all be there. Even Uncle Charlie might turn up." She glanced at me as she said the last bit, and I realised no had told me yet what Charlie's reaction to Olivia had been.

Olivia nodded. "Can I floo with Harry?" She asked.

I could see Ginny holding herself together from rolling her eyes at me. "Sure sweetheart."

"Okay." Olivia said climbing off my knee and allowing Ginny to put her dressing gown on her and then her slippers.

"Right, are we all ready then?" Molly asked walking back into the room with a large picnic basket and her coat on. I eyed up the picnic basket but then remembered the hours we had sat there waiting for Victoire to arrive and realised she must have packed some food to keep everyone happy. She then glanced at Olivia. "Oh, what was I thinking? Who is going to stay home with Olivia?"

"I'm going with Harry." Olivia announced holding her arms up for me to pick her up. Something I did quite happily.

"To Grimald Place for the night? I'm not sure Olivia's quite up to that yet she's still sleeping with Ginny after everything." Molly exclaimed, taking her protective grandmother stance.

"No, to the Hospital Mum, Olivia wants to see the baby when it arrives like we all do." Ginny explained. "She feels it will be fine as long as Harry and I stay with her."

Molly looked at Olivia in my arms and shot me a large smile. "Oh, well that's wonderful then. Even though I'm sure she'll be asleep well before the baby arrives."

"We can wake her for a quick look." I answered tickling Olivia in my arms. "You can be my sleeping beauty."

Olivia let out a pearl of giggles and squirmed against me. "I'm not going to sleep for a 100 years."

Olivia clung to me for the first half an hour we were at the hospital taking everything in. We had quickly moved with her to the waiting area in the birthing ward, away from the entrance where once again there seemed to be a strange assortment of witches and wizards with strange things attached to them and even what looked like a large teddy bear with a human face.

But as more and more of the family arrived she seemed to relax. But not enough to leave us and go and play with Victoire who loved the attention Ron was lavishing on her. I had been surprised that Fred didn't even stir and was sleeping peacefully on a chair next to Molly. When I asked Angelina if he slept anywhere she just smiled and answered. "He goes down at 7 and doesn't wake up again until 7 the next morning. If he didn't I would have lost my mind with his climbing. I seriously didn't know naming him Fred meant he was going to be exactly like…..well Fred."

Which had made those of us who heard laugh, Olivia started to yawn and snuggle in a bit more and started to look longingly at Ginny who was now talking to Hermione on a couch about 10 feet from us. "Do you want to go and sit on Ginny knee?" I eventually asked her. She yawned again and looked up at me giving me a slight nod. I suppose I wasn't quite the favorite enough today for her fall asleep on.

I picked her up and walked over to where Ginny and Hermione were sitting. "She wants to sit with you now." I said handing Olivia over to her.

Ginny immediately sat up and took her. "Thanks, I have been holding her while she falls asleep lately. It's probably not the best habit, but it gets her there without tears."

"Poor little thing." Hermione said and ran a hand over Olivia head. "It's totally understandable that she wants to know you are there when it's dark. You must be very tired now Olivia."

Olivia nodded and burrowed into Ginny closing her eyes.

"How long did Victoire take to be born? I can't remember, even though I'm sure Mum told me." Ginny asked letting out a yawn herself.

"Only about 10 hours, it was Fred who took 16." Hermione answered her.

"Yeah, well Bill hasn't been out looking scared yet." Ron said from where he had appeared next to me. "Remember that, we got to see the other side of Veela in Fleur, scared the living day lights out of Bill."

I smiled at the amusing memory. "Yeah, it's slightly hard to forget."

"Giving Birth is no laughing matter. You should applaud woman for it, not tease them." Hermione scolded us.

"Yes dear." Ron answered her very wisely. "Come on Harry play a game of chess with me, Percy's tired of losing."

"And what make you think I want to lose?" I asked back at him, but made my way to where Percy and Ron had been sitting earlier.

Sitting down Ron rolled his eyes glancing back at Hermione before muttering to me. "I reckon George had the right idea when Angelina went into Labour, fainting and knocking himself out near the beginning saved him a lot of stress."

I smiled. "Yeah, still gutted I missed that one by being away."

"You should have seen Ange's face. I'm amazed she forgave him at all." Ron grinned, and glanced over at the couple who were in their own little world, Angelina curled up against George smiling and nodding her head knowingly as he prattled on about ideas for the shop.

After being beaten thoroughly twice at chess and my pieces looking like they needed a lie down, Bill popped his head out and said it wouldn't be too much longer as Fleur was just about fully dilated.

Ron just shook his head. "Not sure I needed to know that, or want to even think about it." He mumbled away.

I looked at him confused. "I don't even know what he meant?" I asked.

"Mione's been reading up on a few things, you know, sort of planning ahead for us. She keeps telling me what she will have to go through you know if we have kids. I reckon she's trying to put me off. Says us blokes get the easy part." He shivered as he answered. Making me wish I hadn't asked.

But Hermione was right in a way I certainly had the easy part when it came to Olivia. Even though if I had known about Ginny being pregnant I very much doubt I could have left her.

I looked over at Ginny with Olivia sleeping peacefully against her, and noticed her trying to shift Olivia's weight like it was getting uncomfortable for her to hold her. Watching for a minute I saw her shift Olivia and roll her shoulders, then shift her again and grimace slightly.

I stood and made my way back to them. Hermione had moved and was now chatting with Molly about something, so I took her place on the couch. "Here, let me hold her again for a while. She looks out of it enough to not mind too much." I offered.

Ginny almost looked relieved. "Gone are the days where I could just hold her for hours and watch her sleep." She commented as she handed her over. "She's getting far too big and heavy."

I just took our little girl back in my arms half thinking to myself I would love to sit there and watch her sleep for hours. I suppose over the years the novelty had worn off for Ginny, but it was all still so new for me. Having a peaceful angel in my arms seemed like heaven. "Can you?" I asked after a minute or two of Ginny stretching and going to get a hot drink before surprising me by sitting back down next to me. "Could you possibly tell me about Liv's birth? I…I mean I know it must have been…well I don't know anything really." I gave up trying to put my thoughts into words.

Ginny looked at me surprised, and seemed to think about it for a moment. "I suppose I could." She sat back and took a sip of her coffee. "Just give me a minute to process my thoughts. I've….well other than telling Mum the basic's I've never really talked about it."

"Take all the time you need." I offered back, pleased that she hadn't just brushed me off, or said we'll talk about it later. We were after all sitting in a hospital waiting room, I was glad it was a quiet night and no one else was waiting, not that anyone else would have fitted into the waiting room with the whole Weasley clan there.

Ginny took another sip of her coffee and closed her eyes before starting. "Well it took a few weeks to know I was pregnant with her. I had thought the slightly sick feeling in the morning and being a bit late with my monthly was….well just due to stress and the war. There's nothing like a positive pregnancy spell to make you grow up pretty fast, and stop you wallowing in self pity that the three of you had left me behind."

"We couldn't take you Gin, you were underage." I interrupted.

She surprised me by half smiling. "I know that, I even knew it then. I just wished things were…."

"Were different, you and me both."

She nodded. "Anyway, all I could think was that I had gotten myself into the mess, and I couldn't burden my already stressed out family with it. But well, I knew I had to protect the life within me. You were worried about what Voldermort would do to me if he found out we had even been dating let alone if I was carrying you're child. So I did the only thing I could think of, and went to Minerva. I knew Tonks would tell Mum not to say she was stressed enough with Remus trying to leave her." She stopped and took another sip of her coffee. "Anyway, all I got was one lecture from Minerva before she flew into action. I have no idea how she organized everything so fast, and so quietly. But within a week she had convince Mum and Dad that Hogwarts wouldn't be safe for me being a Weasley and all. Madame Maxime was offering me a scholarship. Something they managed to word very carefully so that it looked like I was perfect for. I suppose Snape agreed to it due to still being a double agent, not that we knew it at the time. Minerva was most stressed about him signing it off. But it only took a week and a half till I was portkeyed off to France and being met by Andre and Louisa."

She paused again looking at Olivia. "They were the most lovely, amazing couple. Louisa fussed over me the whole pregnancy. Something she must have found hard. Knowing she couldn't ever have that experience herself. Andre was the charms teacher and along with giving me a crash course in French taught me all the charms I needed to conceal my pregnancy. I played a very quiet, hard working student that year. Hardly talking to anyone at school, using my full name and Mums maiden name as my last, hardly in hiding when I look back now but we didn't want to make it look too much like I was hiding either."

She paused a looked at me, really looked at me, catching my eye. "You weren't really asking about any of that though were you?" She asked.

"No, but I still want to know it. You must have hated being so far away from your family and the battle." I added with a knowing smirk. Ginny had never been one to run away.

"I did, but…well." She leaned over and placed a hand lightly on Olivia's head and smiled at our sleeping baby. "She was worth it. Keeping her safe….well I had to. I understand your mother protecting you so much more now. You know I don't think she even would have thought twice about it, you're father as well."

I nodded. "I thought that as well, when I found out about her and she was missing, I realised that." I told her feeling my heart clench at the memory, being ever so grateful we had found her.

"Anyway, I was getting large and uncomfortable when you three escaped from Malfoy Manner. Fred send a message and Andre pulled me out of school for that last month of my pregnancy. I didn't mind, I was just happy that you were alive still. But that was a long month. I so wanted the war to be over, to be able to come home and have her. To have Mum and you with me." She stopped again, and looked away removing her hand from Olivia's head. Taking another sip of coffee, it almost seemed like she wasn't going to continue.

My mind processed what she had just said. It was the second time she had told me she wanted me there. Yet it had been only two months after the birth that she told me she was seeing someone else. "Gin?" I started to ask.

She just held up at hand. "Just give me a moment to gather my thoughts." She told me and seemed to stare into space for a while before she started talking again. "My waters broke when the news report came through about you breaking into….well I suppose out of really, Gringotts on a Dragon. I suppose being a little impressed and excited you were all still alive might have kicked things into action. I was already a week overdue." She raised her eyebrows clearly a little amused at the thought. "Louisa and Andre were amazing. The contractions started slowly but they took me into the Hospital straight away. There were times I just wanted to give up, but there was also a hope, that…..well that maybe I could bring her home. As the labor progressed, so did the battle. I prayed you would all be okay. Knowing that at the end of it I might not have much family left." She paused to think again.

Before starting once more she looked around the room. "I wonder if everyone would have been there for me, waiting out here for news if it hadn't been a war."

"You know that they would have Gin." I told her sure of the facts. "And I would have been with you every step of the way."

"Not fainted like George?" She asked.

I shook my head at her. "Well I hope not anyway." Realising I really had no idea.

"It wasn't a simple birth. Louisa stayed with me the whole time and held my hand. She was amazing." She continued surprising me. "Liv was breach." I must have looked confused because she explained. "She wasn't facing the right way to come out head first, so the Midwitch had to turn her with her wand, and believe me it hurt like hell." I grimaced at just the look on Ginny's face as she remembered. It must have hurt. "Then she took over an hour to push out, little monkey would come so far and then slip back again as soon as I stopped pushing. There's a very good reason they call it labor you work bloody hard."

One thing about spending more time with Ginny I loved was seeing more of her edge and wittiness that I had fallen so hard for all those years ago. "I guess Hermione's right us blokes do get it easy."

Ginny smirked. "It would be very wise to remember that."

Olivia moved in her sleep and snuggled a bit more against me. Making me wonder what it would have been like to hold her as a new born, all pink and tiny. "How long before you thought I was dead?" I asked her.

"Almost an hour, an hour where I wove all sorts of dreams in my head." She told me. "But it was shattered. Things in the ward were quiet anyway. Everyone hanging off the wireless, my Midwitch flew into the room in tears, to announce the fact you had died." Ginny stopped, placed her cup down on the table in front of us and leaned back closing her eyes. Surprising me when a few tears escaped, she wiped them quickly. "Well I told you what happened after that. The magic of the adoption even made it so my milk never came in. I only got to feed her that once just after she was born."

My mind questioned not for the first time since finding out about Olivia if I could have taken Voldermort then his snake down in the forest without pretending to be dead like I did. But I doubted I would have made it out alive with all his most loyal followers there. "I'm sorry." I told her, and I was.

"Excuse me." I heard Bill call out, and looking around I saw him standing there holding a pink little bundle in his arms. Everyone sat up, people nudging others who had fallen asleep. "I would like you all to meet Dominique, she weighs in at just over 7 pounds and has ten fingers and ten toes." He finished proudly like no other child in the world had managed to achieve the perfect amount of toes and fingers.

"Ah, but are they the Prewatt toes?" George asked making everyone smile and a few laugh, while Molly shook her head at him half hugging Bill as she took in the little bundle in his arms.

"No, they aren't." Bill smiled back at George.

Everyone moved then, and I shook Olivia slightly to try and wake her up. She groaned and burrowed into me a little more. "Sleepy Daddy." She said, making me stop and stare at her before glancing at Ginny.

Ginny shook her head at me. "Sorry, she dreams about them quite a bit." Causing my heart to deflate, and clearly my face as well as Ginny then added. "We'll talk to the counselor when she starts about telling her." She promised. "I just don't want to throw any more at her just now."

I nodded, and shook Olivia again. "You're baby cousin is here, do you want to see her?" I asked.

This time she moved to sit up and rub her eyes. "Baby?" She asked.

I nodded at her. "A baby girl." I told her.

She smiled and held her arms out to Ginny. "I see the baby?"

Ginny gathered her up off my knee and carried her over to everyone leaving me there watching the scene. Watching Bill do something I had never gotten to do.

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Please R&R  
It always helps to know what people are thinking.

Hopefulled.


	28. Chapter 28

**Wow I'm finally posting the next part. Life has really been getting in the way of my writing and not to say getting what actually wanted to happen in the part was harder then I thought. But I think I have it about right, one of those ones you aren't quite sure about but can't seem to change it anymore.  
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**So I hope you enjoy it. We are getting there slowly.  
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**I don't own any of the character except for Olivia.  
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**Ginny**

It had been a late night by the time we got back to the Burrow. Olivia dropped back to sleep the moment I placed her in my bed, but I couldn't help lying there and thinking about the evening, about how much Olivia had taken to Harry.

I hadn't lied when I told Hermione the other day that I never doubted Harry would love and accept Olivia. But several points from the day before had blown me away with just how much he had taken to her. There was no longer any idea in my mind that he would be a sideline parent, or maybe happy to spend a few days a month with her. He had changed his life for her, his job of the last few years taking undercover roles had been shelved seemingly without any regret.

His words from when we talked about a counselor as well formed in my mind. He was going to pay off my debts. My mind rang with the thought. I was going to argue with him but now thinking about it I couldn't help but realise what a difference that could make for Olivia and I in the future. My salary no longer being required pay for constant trips to France or pay off the mounting bills meant I might actually be able to afford a home for Olivia and I at some stage.

My heart swelled thinking about it, and softened even more toward him. I hated how much feelings which had been pushed back for so long were now resurfacing. Threatening my heart, if I didn't watch myself I would be just as in love with Harry bleeding Potter as I was when Olivia had been conceived over four years ago.

It was almost frustrating that he wasn't all I had thought him to be a few weeks ago. It would have been almost easier if he was, then I wouldn't mind so much when he finally meet someone to share his life with. But now, well he was being amazing really. Olivia and I had turned his life upside down and he was meeting every challenge face on. Not that he had ever been one to shy away from life, but….

I shook my head as I rinsed my mouth out from brushing my teeth. Over thinking everything probably wasn't going to help anything. It had been years, and well I hadn't exactly treated him well in that time. I told myself, I should just be pleased that he isn't already married or in a long term relationship. It's easier just him and I dealing with Olivia's issues and being parents than adding in step parents. Heck to her we're probably always going to be her second set of parents anyway.

I heard Olivia and Victoire giggling down the hallway as they headed down stairs. Mum had insisted Victoire come and stay a few days while Fleur got settled with the new baby and they had been playing in Olivia's room while I had a shower and clearly decided it was time to head downstairs and hit Mum up for breakfast. I checked my watch and yawned wondering just how I was going to get through training today after pretty much no sleep, and decided some pepper up Potion was probably in order.

I was half way down the stairs when Olivia flew up them towards me and buried her face in my legs.

"Liv." I heard Mum call. "It's alright honey it's just your Uncle Charlie."

I smiled that he must have just arrived or turned up sometime in the night after we had all been in bed. Gathering Olivia up into my arms I continued down the stairs. "Gran's right, I told her. It's just another one of my crazy brothers."

Olivia peeked up from where she had hid her head in my shoulder. "Victoire squealed and gave him a hug, but then he looked at me and said hello." She shivered.

I shook my head, thinking I suppose at least she didn't run as soon as she saw him sitting in our kitchen and though Charlie might not be the tallest of my brothers he was probably the scariest looking with all those scars on his arms and he was much broader and thick set than the rest of the skinny gits.

Reaching the Kitchen Mum was looking up the stairs clearly making sure I had the little run away before she chased after her, and just sighed at the sight of us before returning to her frying pan as it piled eggs and bacon high on a plate before more magically flew into it.

"Well if it isn't my little sister." Charlie eyebrows rose at me, as he put Victoire down. His eyes looking to Olivia in my arms, I blushed slightly under his gaze. His reaction to the letter my parents made me send him a week ago had been just I'll be home soon, we'll talk about it then', hardly even worth the owl's effort in bringing me a note that brief. I just hoped he had been communicating more with some other members of the family.

"Olivia this is your Uncle Charlie." I told her. "He's not really as scary as he looks."

Charlie rolled his eyes at me. "I'm not scary am I Vic?" He asked our niece who just grinned, giggled and shook her head at him, before climbing into my father's lap.

Olivia still clung to my neck, so I just sat down at the table with her. "What, not even a hug?" Charlie asked sitting down next to me.

"Olivia's not coping too well over the last week with leaving the house or strangers. Ginny just doesn't want to push her." My father answered for me, as he looked at his oldest grandchild who was finally releasing her grip on my neck and turning so that she could look at Charlie a little more.

Charlie nodded at Dad, glancing at me once more before looking back at Victoire. "So who is a big sister now? Who would have thought us Weasley's would produce so many girls in the next generation? Ginny's birth must have broken a curse or something." He finished with a joke.

It was something I hadn't thought about before. It was a little odd the after generations of no Weasley females the next generation after me had 3 out of four so far.

"It would seem so." Dad grinned back at Charlie. "And I love it they smell so much nicer than you boys ever did."

Charlie laughed as Mum placed the food on the table. "Right, because Ginny always smelt great when she have been in the mud with us, or in the creek."

Mum swatted him on the head. "None of that now, what time do you have to be in Ginny, you're looking very tired?" She questioned me.

I glanced at my watch and tried to place Olivia on the seat next to me on the other side from where Charlie sat, but she wouldn't move. "Liv honey, I have to eat and get going to practice."

Mum sighed behind me, walked to the potions cabinet grabbed the Pepper-up potion and placed it on the table in front of me before holding her arms out for Olivia. "Now dear you came and sit on Gran's knee for breakfast. Ginny has to get going soon and she had a late night."

Olivia glanced once more at Charlie before allowing Mum to lift her up. I wanted to sigh in relief I really did only have 20 minutes before I had to floo into the stadium while my mind screamed that I also really did have to make an appointment for Olivia to see one of those counselors. We all needed some help to get her back on track and feeling confident again. Taking a swig of the potion in front of me, I ignored the giggles of Olivia and Victoire when the steam poured out my ears, and held myself back from hitting Charlie when he commented.

"Oh, look at that Ginny I can finally see the steam pouring out your ears, now give me that face you used to pull when you were really annoyed with us."

"Leave your sister alone." Mum commented. "Now how long are you staying for? At least for Sunday Lunch I hope. I want all the family together."

Charlie gave me a slightly strange look before looking back at Mum. "Does that still include everyone?" He asked in a cryptic way.

"Of course it does. Now eat up, Arthur and Ginny have to get to work." Mum declared giving Charlie her warning look.

I stared down at the food in front of me, knowing I had to eat or I wouldn't make it through practice, but a sudden ill feeling had come over me, reminding me that my family was still adjusting to the blow I had recently given them but forced the first mouthful down.

"I will be around for a few weeks I want to catch up with everyone." Charlie stated. "And I do have two new nieces to get to know. Am I really that scary Olivia?" Charlie asked her.

Olivia looked up from Mum's knee with a mouthful of food, and looked at Charlie shrugged her shoulders before shoving another mouthful in and continuing to chew. Charlie looked bemused before mouthing 'Ron' at me, making me relax no end and smile slightly.

Conversation after that centered pretty much around Victoire and what she thought of having a baby sister. Olivia finished and seemed to relax enough to say the odd thing and by the time I ran upstairs to grab my practice gear she was even giggling at something Charlie had said, making me feel much better about the fact that I really had to leave.

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Practice had really pushed me to my limits. Gwenog hadn't been too happy that I was clearly tired. Babies weren't something that woman got as important. In fact she was known to call anyone who got pregnant and quit quidditch bonkers. So the fact I had wasted time staying up to wait for my new niece had seemed insane to her. Why would I risk precious sleep just to see a red crying bundle was totally beyond her which pretty much meant every time I even slightly lost my concentration she worked me even harder.

But I did get to book an appointment with one of the counselors on my list with whom I had talked with the other day and whose secretary promised me complete privacy. Even booking us tomorrow night slightly after hours so that no one else would be there, sometimes being a famous quidditch player really did have its advantages. I just hoped she was still going to keep her mouth shut when I showed up at some stage with Harry Potter in tow.

Whipping back into the changing room bathroom before flooing home I ended up enduring a conversation I happened over hear. Two of our younger reserves probably totally convinced I had left ages ago had been giggling about how hot Harry was and how they could possibly get to see him again. I stayed quiet in the stall rolling my eyes as they discussed how best to get to know me better as maybe a way of finding out more about him.

As if I would set my child's father up with female's who were clearly just out of school and acted like it. I couldn't stand giggling teenage girls when I was one let alone want one as my daughters step mother. Even though I hoped that if Harry started dating anyone he would at least be sensible about when he introduced them to Olivia. This thought made me feel ill though, and in a different way than the thought of Olivia ever having a step mother had made me throw up a few weeks ago. This ill feeling felt like my heart had dropped to my stomach, and was beating so fast I couldn't breathe. Was I jealous of something that hadn't even happened yet? Were my feelings for Harry already back to the level that I was jealous just at the thought of him dating? This had me standing in the toilet stall with my head against the wall thinking for probably quite a while after my giggling under team mates had left.

Flooing into the burrow I threw bag on the floor dusted myself off and looked around to only finding Charlie sitting there looking at me. "She returns. Looks like they worked you hard?" He questioned, probably noticing I looked worse than this morning.

"Yeah, Gwen couldn't understand why I would give up sleep to see a little red crying thing." I told him.

He barked out half a laugh at the comment. "Sounds just like her." Making me remember that Charlie had met her a few times over the years, Gwenog seemed to think going to play with Dragons was fun in the off season.

"So what did you do with your day of rest?" I asked taking a seat. "And where's Mum and Liv?"

"Mum out in the Garden with the two girls." Charlie answered. "They should be back soon Mum said they were just going to pick some flowers. She's invited George and Ange over for dinner."

I nodded. "So what did you do all day?"

"Well Olivia seemed to like me after she realised I could read to her and fly." He answered, making me smile he had clearly worked out how to make his oldest niece happy. "She's a natural on that broom of hers. She's much better than Teddy or Vic."

I nodded. "It probably shouldn't really surprise us should it? After all it's in her genes."

Charlie nodded at me clearly thinking on my comment. "So I had lunch with Bill today, just before he collected Fleur and the baby from St Mungo's to take them home. I got to catch up on a few things."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "Yes, I imagine I've been a great topic of conversation between my brothers in the last week or so."

"We didn't talk about you that much. I just asked him a few things I didn't want to ask Mum." Charlie told me straight out.

"So you're all caught up then?" I asked, rather harshly.

Charlie rose his eyebrows clearly reading in my eyes the 'don't mess with me or you'll find yourself on the other end of my wand look.'

"I suppose for now." He answered looking back at me then taking a breath before continuing. "Look, I'm just worried about you all especially you and Harry."

"We're getting there, but at the moment Olivia is our main concern, not pleasing all my brothers. Now if you'll excuse me I have to floo Harry and let him know I made an appointment with a counselor for tomorrow night." I told him.

Charlie just nodded and rose from the couch. "Good to hear you're including him in her life." He just commented as he left the room. I had to swallow back the temptation to throw some sort of curse at his back as my temper boiled slightly. Did he really think I would try and keep Harry from Olivia now he knew the truth? I growled before calming my breathing down.

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The next night I was rather nervous. I found myself with Olivia sitting on the couch dressed to go, but she was not looking at all happy about it. In fact I was sure she was only going because I told her Harry was coming with us and we were flooing there. But she was sitting there on my knee watching the fireplace intently like she would bolt into the corner and shield herself if I tried to take her anywhere without Harry. I swallowed once again at the frustration that she often seemed to feel so much safer with Harry than she did with me.

Mum had asked several times if I wanted her to come with us. But somehow I felt it was something Harry and I should probably do together to start with. Even though quite how we were going to explain things to a counsellor with Olivia there I had no idea. But Harry had impressed me again seemingly very pleased I had asked him to come with us, and promising meet us at the burrow to go.

Charlie was reading a book across from me, and kept glancing my way, probably my nerves showing clearly on my face. I had somehow convinced myself that I was going to be told I was crap parent and Olivia's problems were all just my own fault. I knew it wasn't true, but there was this tiny voice in the back of my head that was feeding me just enough to question well pretty much everything when it came to Olivia at the moment.

I almost sighed in relief when the floo flared and Harry stepped out. Olivia immediately relaxed as well, and even grinned when Harry smiled at her and held out a chocolate frog, something she jumped up to take and give him a hug around the legs. Great, he gets to be the parent that spoils her now, what a role reversal I was having in her life, that used to be me the over indulgent Godmother who used to visit.

"Nothing like a bit of chocolate for the nerves." Harry smiled at Olivia ruffling her hair slightly. I told myself to ignore the fact I had just brushed it.

"Harry." Charlie said standing up and holding out a hand. "How are you?"

Harry's eyes widened slightly and then relaxed at Charlie's relaxed face and held out his hand to shake Charlie's in a friendly way. "Alright and yourself?"

"Not too bad, enjoying the thought that I'm home for a few weeks. We'll have to all catch up for a drink." Charlie raised his eyebrows in a slightly knowing way.

Harry just nodded. "Yeah, maybe just one or two, I think I'm over the big nights we've had in the past now." As he seemingly just naturally leant down to where Olivia was trying to break into the chocolate frog and opened it for her, before handing it back.

Olivia just beamed as she grasped the chocolate in hand and took a big bite before even turning over the card to look at it. I watched as her eyes went wide and she giggled looking up at Harry and then back at her card, and then back and forth a few times before exclaiming. "It's you. You're on a frog card." Holding it up for Harry to look at.

Harry grimaced slightly muttering. "I clearly grabbed the wrong one at the shop." Then rolled his eyes at Charlie before bending down on his knees and saying clearly. "Well isn't that strange, why would I be on a card like that?"

Olivia giggled again shrugging her shoulders paused for a moment to think about it before saying seriously. "Because you save people like me."

Charlie barked out half a laugh. "She's smart I'll give her that much. But keep that one Olivia, they are rare and worth quite a bit to collectors."

"We'll have to find you some of Uncle Ron and Hermione at some stage Liv, maybe even Neville." Harry told her. "They are much more interesting than mine."

Charlie shook his head. "Sorry Harry I don't think most wizarding children would agree with you there. Not when only 5 cards with you on them are printed a year. It's going to amuse me for weeks thinking about you getting one for Olivia." He finished with a wide grin.

No wonder I had never seen of Harry before if that was the case, chocolate frogs had always been a weakness of mine, and I often munched on one as my little indulgence after a hard day at practice. "Right, I suppose we should get going. We have to be there in a couple of minutes." I said standing up. "I think Olivia wants to floo with you again." I told Harry, trying to keep my voice calm, and my face netural at how he just nodded at me and picked Olivia up, holding her to him.

"Right, we are going to go and talk to a nice lady about all sorts of things." He said to Olivia. "And she might even play some games with you."

I frowned. Playing games? This was going to cost Harry a heap of galleons and he was expecting the witch to just play games with her? But then realised he had probably been told what to expect from that child abduction specialist Lisa what's her name that he worked with. "Right, okay then, we should be back in an hour or so." I told Charlie, and grabbed some floo powder. "Have you got the destination?" I asked Harry.

He just nodded at me. "Yeah, Robards and I went in and had a look around today at security and meet the counselor, checked their privacy policies etc." Harry paused at the probably clear look of you did what? On my face. "We didn't say why, I think they just thought it was because you're a Weasley."

I just nodded at him and stepped into the fireplace, calling out. "Healing minds offices." Before dropping the floo powder and beginning my swirling journey as I told myself I was just going to have to get used to Olivia being overly protected and watched over by Auror's.

Stepping out at the other end I dusted myself off and looked around. The secretary was looking at me slightly awed, and then frowned. "Weren't you bringing your goddaughter with you?" She asked me. Clearly thinking I had forgotten Olivia. The Fire place flared behind me again and Harry stepped out with Olivia who still had a mouth full of Chocolate causing the secretaries eyes to go wide. "Mr Potter, we weren't expecting you back again this evening." She exclaimed blushing and clearly eyeing him up, even if she had to be at least ten years older than him.

I looked back at Harry pleased to see he wasn't at all focused on the swooning secretary but on our daughter who had suddenly burrowed into his neck, clinging on for dear life as she took in her new surroundings he was whispering reassuring words to her. "It's all right Liv sweetheart. Have a look around you there is lots of toys and fun things. Ginny and I are right here and aren't going to leave you." For someone who had pretty much no decent parenting after his parents died he made a wonderful father.

I turned back to the secretary who seemed to be swooning even more now at the sight of Harry with Olivia. "Olivia is having problems with leaving the house and going to new places. She feels safer when Harry is with us as he's the one who rescued her after the kidnapping." I explained. Not that I felt I owed the secretary any explanations.

"Oh of course. How sweet of Mr. Potter to make himself available to you." She said to me, and then tapped her wand on a square box in front of her before saying into it. "Miss Weasley, Miss Fleet and Mr Potter are here to see you."

The next thing I knew a door opened and out stepped the woman I discussed Olivia with a few days ago. She was clearly only in her mid-thirties, yet had a maternal way about her, something that just signaled to me that she would be wonderful with Olivia. "Ah. Ginny. Do you mind if I call you that?" She asked holding out her hand. "Call me Amanda. It makes the children relax more if we are relaxed."

"Not at all." I smiled back shaking her hand. If she was going to know all my secrets we may as well be on a first name basis. "Thank you again for seeing us on such short notice."

She smiled back at me. "It's not a bother at all. I'm looking forward to working with Olivia. This must be her." She smiled at my daughter who was now looking at her a little wide eyed. "Hello Olivia. My name is Amanda and I think we are going to be great friends once we get to know each other. Would you like to come into my office?"

Olivia glanced at me and back at Harry who gave her a nod before she looked back at Amanda. "Okay." She answered pretty quietly.

Amanda just smiled at her. Then glanced up and smiled at Harry. "Good to see you again Harry. Will you be staying with us?"

Harry nodded as we started to follow her through the door she had come out of. Amanda started to talk as we walked. "Now I would like to get a good run down from you Ginny of exactly what we are dealing with. There is a play room with a sound proof window next to my office would Olivia be comfortable in there with my secretary?"

"I'll stay with her." Harry answered before I could. "I don't want to push our luck. It'll give Ginny space to talk without worrying."

I shot him a look to say thank you and I meant it. I would have come on my own if I knew she wanted to talk to me without Olivia hearing in fact I probably should have thought of that after telling Harry I would ask about telling Olivia the truth about us. We were now in her office which held even more toys than the waiting room and I could see the playroom next to it through a large glass sliding door.

"That's fine." Amanda smiled. "Why don't we first play a game and see if we can start to get Olivia to relax a little." She said pointing to a couch which the three of us sat on while Amanda took a seat across from us. "This is an easy game Olivia we are just going to say places that we feel safe. My favorite place is my bedroom. It's got all my stuff, and a warm bedspread my mother made for me. What about you Harry?"

Olivia had released her grip on Harry's neck so that she could look at all the cool kid's things in the office she looked up at Harry for his answer to the question.

"I like my bedroom as well. It was my Godfathers old bedroom it reminds me that there were people who really loved me when I was growing up, even if I didn't get to spend as much time with them as I wished." He answered very honestly. "Also the burrow as the Weasley's have always made me feel welcome."

Amanda nodded at him. "And you Ginny where do you feel safe?"

I stopped to think about it. "I think the burrow as well. It's my family home." I answered, but then thought a little more about it. "But it's more than just the place. It's the people."

Amanda nodded. "Good point now Olivia, where do you feel safe?"

"The burrow, like Ginny and Harry." She answered clearly relaxing on Harry's knee.

"That's good and a common place for the three of you it must be a great place." Amanda smiled at her. "And like Ginny are there people you feel safer with?"

Olivia looked at me. "Ginny." She answered straight off pleasing me then glanced at Harry. "Harry, he helps people. Gran and Granddad but I don't like going out with Gran, I get scared. I always felt safe with Mummy and Daddy."

Amanda nodded. "That's understandable."

The game of people we felt safe around, and places went on for a few more minutes before Amanda pointed out some of the cool things she had in the playroom and told Olivia about how her and Harry would still be able to see me through the door. Amanda's excitement over the toys and the things they could do had Olivia so interested, I don't think she cared I wasn't going to be with her, as she basically grabbed Harry's hand and dragged him to the room.

Amanda shut the door reminding Olivia that I was just through it and she could come back in at anytime. I felt relaxed that Olivia was never going to be pushed by this counselor and much more confident that she would be able to give us some good advice when it came to healing our daughter's fears and broken heart over her parents.

Amanda came back and sat across from me. "Now tell me in your own words what your main concerns are, and what you would like to get out of these sessions. I will tell you straight up though I'm not a huge believer in obliviating children. I believe that our experiences help shape us, and define who we really are. In my experience oblviating a child often makes them forget the experience but they often still struggle with the same fears and worries, just without the memory to understand why."

Which all made perfect sense to me, so much of what I had experienced over the years made me who I was today even if I did feel like I had sometimes messed up and wished I could forget about things. "That's fine, I agree with your points. There's a lot though that she's gone through and even more things that we have to tell her at some stage hopefully before the rest of the world finds out." I started, and with a little encouragement from Amanda I found myself pouring out the entire story. I would have wondered if she had slipped me some Veritaserum if I had eaten or drunken anything since I arrived, it all came out so easily. No wonder she was at the top of the recommended list Lisa had given Harry.

By the end of it I was a little teary and in need of blowing my nose. Pleased that Harry had kept Olivia facing away from the door and glass. I conjured up a hankie and proceeded to blow my nose as Amanda read over the notes her quill had made as I talked.

"It's fine to feel emotional Ginny. There's a lot here." She said looking up at me with compassion. Glancing back at Harry and Olivia she smiled when Harry looked back at me, got a concerned look on his face and stood up clearly torn with deciding whether I needed him or not due to the fact I was wiping my eyes. I just attempted to smile back at him and held up a hand to signal I was fine. Glancing back at Amanda I found she had turned back to look at me. "So you barely talked to him for years?" I nodded. "And he only met Olivia just over two weeks ago?" I nodded again. "Well that's just changed any thoughts I had on the great Harry Potter." She muttered then shook her head. "How totally unprofessional of me to even say that to you."

"Don't worry I can safely say that 99% of what you read about him is a load of rot." I told her, one thing I hadn't let on was the fact that his public life was pretty much totally fake but I didn't want to get in trouble. Harry had given me permission to explain and ask about when we tell Olivia about us, but not about his working life. "I really thought he had changed but he hasn't."

"And that's screwing with you head?" She asked pointedly then suddenly changed back to what we were here for. "He's just so good with her, they've bonded incredibly." Amanda told me. "Which is a good thing, she needs strong figures in her life that she trusts having lost the two most important. How about we bring them back in and see if she will do some role playing with some toy figures and it will help us understand how she's feeling about the people in her life at the moment etc."

Amanda called Harry and Olivia back in and Harry and I watched as she pulled out a large box of little figures, with many sizes, people and even animals. Asking Olivia to pick herself out from among them and then other people in Olivia's life and why she had chosen that figure to represent them.

She chose a figure holding a little girl and called it me and her saying that since her parents had died I was like her mommy, and looked after her. She had then taken a couple of figures and put them aside as Andre and Lousia explaining that had been her life in France. Amanda had encouraged her to talk about them for a few minutes. Olivia had said a few things but kept scanning the many figures in the box, pulling out some older looking figures calling them my parents, and placing them together not too far from the one she had called her and I. Then went back to looking, finding a reading one called it Hermione, a little boy she called Teddy. A clown she called Uncle George. Slowly adding to the family yet looking hard at most of the figures like she was looking for something in particular. Till she found one with dark hair and glasses, holding a wand, which I had a strange feeling might just actually be a miniature figure of Harry.

"Here you are." She said looking at Harry. Then back to Amanda. "He came and got me from the bad man and held me at the hospital. He plays games with me and reads to me. Harry can also get under the blue light when I'm really scared." She placed him right next to the figure of her and I. Went back to looking at the figures and pulled out a little girl for Victoire and a baby for Dominique and so we went on, until a little bell on Amanda's desk rang and I realised we had been there well over the normal hour. But impressed with just how much Olivia was already chatting away to Amanda.

Flooing home we were only greeted by Charlie, who told us Mum and Dad had gone to visit Fleur and Bill, Mum dropping off enough food to probably last them the next month.

Harry had laughed at that, and then explained he really needed to get going as he had reading he needed to do for work, handing Olivia over to me, he kissed her on the forehead and told her to be a good girl before catching my eye and placing a hand on my arm asked. "You all right, I know it's not all easy to talk about for you?"

"Its fine, she was very good. I think I choose right person for Liv." I told him trying to ignore the tingle that was shooting up my arm at his touch.

"Yeah, I liked her, Amanda was nice wasn't she?" He asked Liv, before leaning over and kissing her again on the forehead causing my senses to almost be overwhelmed by his closeness.

Liv nodded and yawned, making me very glad I had fed her before we left as it was now her bedtime. "I like all her toys." She answered him.

Harry just smiled at her. "I know they were fun, shall we go and play with them again on Monday night?" Referring to the next appointment we had made.

"Okay." Olivia answered him and yawned again.

He just smiled. "Right, I'll head off and let you put her to bed before she just drops off. Catch you on the weekend. Who is looking after Liv for your game?"

"Mum, but you can have her if you want." I answered him.

He just nodded. "I need to see Teddy after Hermione dropping him home for me last Sunday, but I could probably take Liv with me. Would you like that?" He asked Olivia. Who just nodded and yawned again. Harry just shook his head amused at just how tired she was. "Right, I'll check in with Molly on Saturday then. Catch you later Charlie."

"Yeah, ask Ron if he's up for that drink tomorrow night." Charlie suggested as Harry stepped into the fireplace after grabbing a handful of floo powder.

"Will do." Harry called back before calling out for Grimmauld Place and disappearing in the flames.

After I was sure Olivia was asleep I went back down stairs to look at the dinner Mum had left for me under a warming charm, but I was too tired and emotional to eat it. Making myself a hot drink I went and sat in the living room with Charlie.

He looked at me, putting down the book he had been reading. "Harry seems to be coping with all this a lot better than I thought he would be." He said after catching my eye. "It's a pretty big bludger you batted his way. Even if I would have killed him had I know back then what you two were up too." Great now he wants to talk about it all. I should have taken my drink back upstairs. My emotions were so on edge.

"After the first shock I think everyone's realised it was something Harry and I have to work through." I half spat back at him. "As I said to the other git's Harry needs your support, something you have all given him in the past."

Charlie nodded his head at me. "Bill told me that. I'm just worried about Harry. He's not exactly had it easy over the years."

I could feel my blood start to boil. I knew some of my family had been thinking it hadn't been fare of me not to tell Harry as soon as I could about Olivia. But well if Charlie was worried about Harry he could go and talk to him about it. Not me, did Charlie really think it had all been just a walk in the park for me.

"Oh, and I suppose you think I've just loved not being able to tell him or any of you about Olivia." I pretty much spat at him.

Charlie didn't back down though, he just looked back at me. "No, I doubt it's been easy on you at all. But it's out there now and I bet Harry feels even worse about whatever happened that night than he already did."

I started to splatter, Harry clearly had never even told Ron or Hermione about what had happened, could it be while I had lived my life for Olivia and Quidditch pretty much away from my family that Harry had gotten that close to my only brother that didn't even live in the country.

Charlie shook his head and held up his hand. "Don't worry he never told me. I probably wouldn't have taken it very well considering how young you were then. I just know that when it came down to it, he's always blamed himself that you wanted nothing to do with him after the war. The most George, Ron and I could ever get out of him was that he had stuffed up. Ron put it down to him breaking up with you. George put it down to you changing in France. I suppose I just figured you realised you didn't really like the real thing as much as the dream." Charlie paused and looked at me. "And that is fine, don't get me wrong. We can't help who we fall for and who we don't. But be careful with Harry's heart. That's all I'm asking."

"What on earth do you mean by that?" I asked, still not at all impressed. In fact if what Charlie had just said hadn't floored me so much I imagine I would have bat-bogged him and been tempted to kick him where it hurt. As if Harry still held any feelings for me after the way I pretty much ignored him for years.

"You heard me Ginny. Bill and Percy had no idea you and Harry even went out before Dumbledore's death. George and Ron wouldn't mention anything to you because they would be scared of Harry finding out and going off at them. But well I don't want him hurt. We're all he's got Ginny."

"Thanks for your support there. I just love how you worry about him. What about me? I suppose I'm so cold and uncaring that there's no danger of my heart being hurt through this?" I questioned back. "I doubt Harry's hearts in any danger. He can have anyone he wants. Half my team would jump him if he even winked at them and when all this crap gets made public, he's probably still going to be the hard done by hero, and I'll be the stupid teenager who idolized him so much she threw herself at her brothers best friend, got pregnant and then kept the hero from his only child." I stopped needing to breathe to hold back the tears that were threatened to fall. I hated how messed up this was. Mum's words of warning about it tearing our family apart nudged at me as well. Here sat one of my oldest brothers warning me to careful with Harry's heart, while mine was the one that was clearly in danger. Hell I had been jealous even over hearing the conversation earlier in the bathroom. I placed my cup on the small table in front of me. Feeling to shaky to be holding it anymore.

"Ginny?" Charlie questioned me. "I'm sorry. Maybe I'm being out of line?"

"Maybe?" I choked out. "Maybe? You have no idea how I feel."

"Well….." He paused staring like he was amazed as I wiped furiously at the first tears that escaped. "I didn't mean to upset you."

"No, just to warn my cold unfeeling heart away from hurting someone you care about." I almost whispered. "Do you really think that little of me?"

Charlie sighed, and moved over to the couch where I sat. "The truth is Ginny, I hardly know you anymore. I come in for a holiday and you leave for France. It doesn't mean I don't love you. But well Harry he's not as tough as he looks."

"He never has been." I sighed out more tears falling. "He's always just done what he has to, thinks of himself last. I do know this Charlie. But as for him having feelings for me after all I've put him through, I doubt there's much danger there."

The next thing I know Charlie pretty much lifted me into his lap much like he had when I hurt myself as a little kid and held me close for the first time in years. "Oh, Ginny, I'm sorry. Don't cry. I'm an idiot."

I curled in slightly, enjoying the feeling of someone holding me. Most of my family seemed to not know how to act around me, and watch every word they said at the moment. "At least you can admit it." I mumbled.

"I have to admit though now I'm just confused." Charlie commented kissing the top of my head.

"So am I." I couldn't help but smile slightly at the comment. "I messed up, but I don't regret having Olivia."

"Of course you don't she's beautiful." Charlie held me slightly tighter.

"I know it looks like I didn't care much for you all, and I know I haven't spent much time with you all, but I had to put her first. I couldn't stand not to be with her whenever I could. She needed me." I tried to explain. "I couldn't explain to any of you, but I had to choose her. She was theirs but I was allowed be there a lot, to help out when they needed it. I had to choose her. I couldn't live a lie, not with Harry he deserved so much more than that, so much more than me." I finished hiccupping a little along the way.

Charlie held me tighter to him. "Oh Gin, I just assumed you would still not what anything to do with him. I had no idea…."

I sat up pulling away slightly and slipping back to sit next to him again. "No one does, you have to promise not to tell anyone Charlie. We've so much to work on for Olivia's sake we don't need my unrequited feelings thrown into the mix."

"But Ginny….." Charlie started.

"No butts." I interrupted him. "This conversation never happened." I told him before taking a deep breath and grabbing my hot drink. "I think I'll go to bed now." I told him trying to hold my emotions in check and made my way slowly up the stairs.

Flicking on my bedside light with my wand I couldn't help but notice Olivia had tucked the Chocolate Frog card of Harry into the side of the frame that held her picture of Andre and Lousia. Picking it up I couldn't help but smile at Harry who seemed to be laughing at something then looked out at me a little shyly and running his hands through his hair before walking out of the frame. I could only imagine how much he hated having his miniature taken for the cards. Pulling out the card I read his list of achievements on the back, The Chosen one, the only person known to have survived the killing curse twice, and on it went. With me mentally adding at the end of the list, father to Olivia and apparently stilled deeply loved by her mother. I finally admitted it too myself.

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Please R&R

It does encourage me to keep going even if my real life is a bit crazy at the moment.

Thanks Hopefulled.


	29. Chapter 29

**Wow I finally have an update. I'm so sorry it's taken so long. But real life has been a right pain, with challenges I really wish we weren't having to face. But I have finally gotten this part to a point where I'm happy with it. I hope you all like it. I know some of you don't like Hermione's point of view. But it's the one I wanted for this part. I hope you enjoy it. Please R & R.  
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**Hermione**

I sat on Friday night watching the boys catch up over a drink. Angelina was upstairs putting Fred down, as the clock read pretty much 7pm on the dot, and I knew she would be looking forward to joining us down stairs for a drink.

Charlie was entertaining us, well Ron, George and Harry really with a story about the birth a dragon recently who at one day old coughed and burnt down one of their equipment sheds. Mad was all I thought. Who in their right mind would want to live like Charlie does? I think he must have spent far too much time with Hagrid when he attended Hogwarts.

Harry shivered as Charlie explained diving on his broom trying to shot the right spells to keep the fire under control while the mother dragon went on the defensive thinking they were after her baby.

"You're going to get yourself killed one of these days Charlie Weasley, and I'm not looking forward to putting your family back together when it happens." Ange told him plainly walking back into the Kitchen and grabbing a shot glass before pouring herself a rather large shot of firewhisky.

"I'm still around after being out there over ten years now." He held his glass up to hers and said. "Cheers." Before leaning over and whispering to her. "You know you did a pretty great job of putting George back together, I think you'd be the right person for my family if it ever came to that."

Ange slapped the back of his head. "It better not ever come to that Charlie."

"He's just having you on Ange. They have all these policies and procedures now for safety. He's always complaining that he is not allowed close enough most of the time without getting in trouble." Ron grinned at Charlie.

Charlie just grabbed the bottle off Angelina and poured himself another one. "True, stupid head keepers have been visiting all these muggle zoo's and want better enclosures for the dragons, making it more like they live in the wild. The less contact with the keepers the better they reckon."

"Well they do believe that's the best now days." I pointed out. "It's cruel to keep animals in small cages just for people to look and stare at. It's much better visiting a zoo now days and seeing them in environments that are more natural for them."

"If you can see them at all, last time we all took Teddy to the zoo we couldn't even see half the animals because they were hiding in caves or behind trees." Ron grumbled.

Harry smiled. "Yes Ron likes to see the lions and the polar bears don't you Ronnikins? He gets most upset when he doesn't see them." I had to hold back my laugh Ron had grumbled the whole way home, while Teddy was perfectly happy.

"Whatever, I don't have a kid, or a godson to take toy shopping. Harry is in the big toy stores at least once a month, and He and Hermione won't let me go with him anymore." Ron started grumbling.

"Well if you could behalf yourself and save all your questions to later it would be fine, but you act like an alien dropped onto the planet asking questions and having to push every button. It makes me want to excuse you as my mental brother on a day out from the asylum." I complained back at him. I mean really to be in a toy shop with a 21 year old setting off everything in sight is rather embarrassing.

George sniggered at this. Muttering "I'm so glad he doesn't do that with all my products when he comes in."

"I don't know, I was thinking you could feed him that love potion again for his wedding. Hermione would love to have pink hearts showing on his face every time he looked at her." Harry held his glass up at me.

I'm sure the look I gave him back told him clearly he better not let George anywhere near Ron on our wedding day.

George groaned. "I'm thinking about withdrawing that product." We all looked at him. No matter how much trouble WWW products got children into, as yet George had refused to withdraw anything, maybe add a few more warnings, but not withdraw. He looked at me sheepishly. "We might actually need your advice on this one."

I glanced at Angelina whose relaxed face had turned a little serious as well. "Apparently a teenager thought it would be cute for her parents wedding anniversary for her dad to be wearing hearts whenever he looked at her Mum. Unfortunately they only appeared whenever the mother's sister was in the room."

Ron and Charlie burst out laughing. "I bet that wasn't a happy anniversary." Ron exclaimed.

Harry shook his head. "Poor bloke how on earth would you explain that one?"

"He couldn't, so his wife left him. He's threatening to sue us." George explained.

My legal mind ran through the marriage and divorce laws. "I wouldn't worry too much about it. I don't think it could hold up, especially if he was actually cheating on his wife with her sister. I'll look into it though if you get me the details."

"Thanks Hermione." George grinned at me. "Knew there was a reason I loved the idea of you marrying Ron. Even if I do think you're a little too good for him."

"She's way too good for me, and I know it. But for some reason she thinks I'm hot and sexy." Ron held up his glass in a toast. Making me wonder just how many drinks Ron had already managed in the last hour.

Harry groaned. "Mate, she's like my sister. How many times do I have to tell you I don't want to know? It was bad enough coming home to you topless and her shirt open on the couch a few weeks ago." Harry shivered at the memory that clearly still disturbed him.

I felt myself blush as Angelina sniggered at the mental image Harry had just given her, while the rest of the room went quiet.

George cleared his throat, and Ron coughed a little uncomfortably.

Charlie's eyebrows shot up, looking at Harry. "Speaking of sisters." He dropped the grenade that was currently just hanging in the air.

Harry suddenly turned red, his hand running through his hair and rubbing the back of his neck declaring he was uncomfortable, and I was sure he was wishing he had kept the last comment he made to himself.

George cleared his throat again. Glancing at his wife and then at me, before looking at Harry. "Not to beat you up or anything. But just to make it clear. Did you really get Ginny up the duff on your very first time? Or is that you two just trying to make it easier for Mum and Dad?"

Harry just groaned.

"He says that, she says that. I believe them." Ron answered making me a little proud of him for standing up for Harry against his brothers.

"It's not like we planned it. Well I didn't, I was just going for a walk to think, it was so hot and there was so much on my mind. I just lay down in the meadow to look at the stars and the next thing I knew Ginny was standing over me waving a bottle of firewhiskey." Harry told them.

"I don't want details." Charlie shivered.

"I wasn't about to give you any." Harry exclaimed with a shiver himself. Grabbing the firewhiskey from the middle of the table he poured himself a fresh drink and downed it in one go.

"What I don't get is the fact you always say you stuffed up? I mean you must have done something right or we wouldn't have Olivia." George asked while wriggling his eyebrows. "You've always blamed yourself for Ginny not wanting you back after the war."

I don't know if I had ever seen Harry so uncomfortable. He almost squirmed in his chair. "We sort of fought afterwards." He admitted.

I had to admit I had been wondering myself. I know that Ron had as well. We were both confused, but not wanting to force Harry. He was never the best about admitting his feelings, especially under pressure. But we had been wondering just how much if not all of Ginny keeping Harry at arm's length was because she was stuck holding this huge secret from him.

"Harry doesn't need to tell us anything. It's hard enough for the poor guy, he's been pining over Ginny for years and now to find out they have a kid." Ange sat up straight looking at her husband then moving her glare to her two brothers in law. "I think you've been amazing these last few weeks Harry and I think it's really special Olivia's taken to you so well."

"I agree. Well said Ange." I told her as we shared a slight smile.

"Is he still pining for her though?" Charlie asked.

"Maybe I should just go to bed, then you can all talk about me, and I won't have to hear it." Harry moved to stand up.

"No, sit down." Charlie grabbed his arm as he walked past. "I was just wondering that's all I haven't seen you since Christmas, it's now October and well an awful lot has happened."

"Yes, it has." Harry muttered sitting back down and pouring himself another drink.

After a few moments of uncomfortable silence, where most of us waited for Harry to answer, George clearly wanting to break it and save Harry from anymore pressure asked. "Who's for some exploding snap? I've put some extra zing in this packet."

Causing Angelina and I to groan, but we all joined in having a great laugh. I couldn't help but notice Charlie watching Harry a little closer. He seemed as if he really wanted to know the answer to his question. Not that I imagined it could make any difference. The fact of the matter now was that poor old Harry, feelings or not had to be around Ginny all the time as they attempted to support their daughter, and Ginny who has finally been able to let go of all the secret baggage she's been holding for years, was proving more and more to still be the quick witted, snappy, tough and sharp tongued witch Harry fell for all those years ago. Her fierce protectiveness of Olivia and even Harry when someone questioned his role in the matter, well I imagined he was going to find it extremely hard not to fall deeply in love with her all over again.

It was something that had been plaguing me quite a lot. Pulling Harry out of his depression when Ginny told him it was over and she was seeing someone else after the war had been hard for Ron and I. Harry had thrown himself into training and work with the Aurors but in everything else he had been a shell of himself. I just hoped that Olivia was going to be enough for him if Ginny ever met someone, well more likely when. She was no longer torn between here and France, and once Olivia was more settled could probably really start to have a social life again.

Saturday morning saw Ron once again go and attempt to help his father paint the Burrow. It had clearly been abandoned after Olivia's kidnapping, and to say it was in need of doing was a complete understatement. But then again I had often wondered how the misshaped piles of rooms stayed together even with magic.

Harry and I went with him to steal Olivia as Ginny had a game. Harry wanted to go and see Teddy and maybe see if we could convince Olivia to go somewhere with us for ice cream. Harry had suggested flooing over to my parent's house as there was a corner store only six houses down the road from them. You could see it from the front steps.

Olivia was all for spending the day with Harry and Teddy. Going somewhere she wasn't sure of was another matter. Harry was so good with her, suggesting we take one thing at a time, and if she really didn't want to go and meet my parents he was sure there was some ice cream hidden from Ron at Grimmauld Place.

We Flooed into Andromeda's, I let Harry and Olivia go first. I got on well with Andromeda but showing up in the middle of her living room without some sort of forewarning was much more Harry's style than mine. But even he normally just apparated there and used the front door.

Stepping out I found a very different picture than the one I had imagined where Olivia and Teddy would have already taken off to his room or would be begging to be out in the yard on their brooms. Olivia was looking confused and holding onto Harry's leg as Teddy sat on the couch his arms folded and glared at Olivia.

"Come on mate what's wrong?" Harry was asking. "You've played with Liv a couple of times this week. I thought you would be happy I brought her along."

"But you're mine. You're my Godfather." Teddy pouted and huffed.

Andromeda sighed, and looked at me. "Hello Hermione, we're just having a bit of an attitude problem with Teddy."

I nodded at her and looked at Teddy on the couch before sitting down next to him. "Don't you think Harry can love the both of you and spent time with each of you?" I asked him.

"She's got Ginny, Ginny's her Godmother. Harry's my Godfather." Teddy told us again.

I glanced at Harry who by this time had a tearful Olivia back in his arms and looked like he had no idea what to do. "I want to go home." Olivia sniffed.

Andromeda sighed again. "Teddy this is not the way to treat your friend. You've made her cry now."

Teddy looked up at Olivia before glaring at Harry then looking at me. "He didn't even take me home last Sunday he made you do it so he could stay with Liva." Teddy tried to explain what his mind was struggling with.

I nodded at him thinking about the problem. "You know I didn't have any brothers or sisters growing up and I remember being very upset when my Aunt had a baby. I thought she wasn't going to play with me anymore or read to me because she was always holding the baby."

"What happened?" Teddy asked interested.

"Well I was wrong. She did still love me, and she did still play with me. It was just she had to look after my cousin as well. We have to remember that Olivia has been having a hard time lately. She's lost her parents and she got a big fright and got hurt a couple of weeks ago. She needs all of us to help her feel safe again." I tried to explain.

Harry walked over and handed me Olivia, who snuggled into my neck. Not even looking at Teddy who was normally her best friend. Harry leaned down on his knees and looked at Teddy. "Hermione's right. I can love and spend time with the both of you. It's just like you and Victoire. You are still friends with her aren't you?"

Teddy nodded. "I like Victoire."

Harry smiled. "But now you have Olivia as a friend as well. Does that mean you can't be friends with Victoire now?"

Teddy shook his head. "They are both my friends."

"I love you Teddy, and I have from the moment I first saw you. But Hermione's right. Olivia needs all of us at the moment to help her feel safe and loved. I was sort of hoping you would help me with that." Harry asked.

Teddy looked up at his Nana and then at me and Harry. "I suppose so." He mumbled.

"That's a good boy, now what do you need to say to Olivia?" Andromeda asked him.

"I'm sorry." Teddy spat it out quickly.

Harry grinned. "Now can I have a hug?" Teddy smiled his hair turning bright blue and jumped at Harry knocking him over and the hug ended up being much more of a tickle fest on the ground. I heard a little giggle into my shoulder and looked down to see that Olivia was now watching them.

"Right, Teddy. Why don't you take Olivia up to your room and get you hat and a jersey as I'm guessing you will want to go with Harry and Olivia for Ice Cream now?" Andromeda instructed Teddy who clambered to his feet climbing off Harry and looked at Olivia.

"Come to my room? Nana changed the pattern on my wallpaper to be moving dragons that breathe fire." Teddy asked her.

Olivia sat up straighter. "Uncle Charlie works with Dragons." She told him.

Teddy nodded. "I know, he brings Vic and I toy ones sometimes."

And the next thing I knew they were running up the hallway. "Man I wish I could settle some legal arguments that fast." I commented.

Harry pulled himself off the floor. "Yes, well I thought we were going to lose Olivia even wanting to visit here for a second. One of the few places she isn't scared to go with Molly."

"I am sorry. Teddy was just a little put out last Sunday and confused. He felt bad for upsetting Olivia by trying to make her play that game they were with George and then you staying and having Hermione bring him home. Well I suppose you're never too young to be jealous." Andromeda sighed and sat down. "It's probably good you won't always have Olivia with you, especially with the quidditch season almost over. I know Teddy always seems confident but he really is just a little boy who needs reassuring every now and then."

I glanced at Harry. He was going to have to tell Andromeda the truth because at some stage hopefully not too long away Olivia would be spending even more time with her father. He nodded at Andromeda. "Yeah, it's tricky." He sighed. "I'll see what I can do."

"Its fine, I think it's great you are all helping Ginny with Olivia. She's blessed to have so many people to help." Andromeda stated. "Olivia's been through a terrible time Teddy doesn't really understand that she's grieving for her parents. I've tried to explain, but he just points out he doesn't have any either. It's a little hard to explain that for him it's different as he can't remember them ever being there for him."

The two little ones ran back into the room, Teddy with his hat already pulled down over his ears hiding his ever colour changing hair. Olivia stopped and looked at Harry a little unsure before running up to me instead as Teddy had zoomed up to Harry ahead of her. "Where are we going Harry? Diagon Alley?"

I just picked up Olivia and gave her a little snuggle it was amazing how much love I felt for this little girl feeling like she was my niece twice over having come from Ginny and Harry. There was no doubt in my mind I would be spending a lot of time with her as she grew up. "How are you feeling Liv?" I asked her.

She shrugged still watching Teddy and Harry. Harry was explaining why we weren't going to Diagon Alley and that if Olivia felt up to it we would go and see my parents. Teddy grinned widely at this and turned to look at me. "I like your parents." He told me. Which didn't surprise me, what had surprised me the last few times we had turned up there with Teddy in tow had been the amount of sugar they had feed the child, they were dentists by trade for goodness sake. Even though they were fascinated by the fact that Wizard and Witches teeth just didn't seem to rot as quickly as muggles.

"How do you feel about that Olivia?" I asked her. "Teddy's been there, and we can floo in, which always gives them a surprise. You see they are muggles and well only travel through the floo to my house or the burrow."

Olivia looked at me, then at Harry. "Okay. Do you have books there?"

That's my girl I thought. She may love a broom like her parents, but she loves to read. "Yes I do. Shall we ask my Mum where she's put my childhood books? I know I made her keep them all."

Harry snorted at my comment and coughed. "Hardly surprising." Into his hand.

I shot him a look before Olivia tensed a bit. "Can I floo with Harry?" She asked.

"I want to go by myself." Teddy announced.

"I don't think so." Andromeda shook her head. "You can go with Hermione. Won't that be fun."

Teddy pouted. "I'm allowed to floo to the burrow."

I shook my head and placed Olivia on the floor before standing up. "Yes, Teddy but my parents have a funny address remember, it's a little hard to say it right. We don't want you ending up somewhere else. Harry did that the first time he ever flooed anywhere."

Olivia shivered looking at Harry, and Teddy went wide eyed. "Cool, where did you go?" He asked.

Harry shook his head, and stood up. "Luckily only a street away from where I was meant to be, and Hagrid found me and took me back to the Weasleys. It wasn't very nice and even then I was 12 so a lot older than you. But don't worry it's only happened to me that once." He took the couple of steps between us quickly and picked up Olivia. "Shall we let Teddy and Hermione go first?"

I said a quick goodbye to Andromeda who looked like she was going to put her feet up for the couple of hours we had Teddy. She was amazing with Teddy, but really he could wear us out easily let alone someone her age.

It wasn't long till my mother was fussing over both of the children. I could tell she had fallen in love with Olivia on sight. Her wide eyed looking around and the way she needed take in everything was probably all my mother needed to see. I had always been far too independent for her liking and a child who was slightly shy always melted my mother's heart. In saying that my parents had been keen to meet Olivia, Ron and I had sort of told them the truth last time we had come for dinner. After all there wasn't too much of a risk, they had managed to keep a secret that I'm a witch from the wider family and their friends for years.

I had to laugh when Dad rubbed his hands together at the mention of Ice-Cream and suggested we all go. Olivia and Teddy didn't know it was odd behavior for my parents whose idea of desert only consisted of fresh fruit salad most of the time.

Harry's slightly strained face almost lit up when Olivia only hesitated on the front door step for a few moments but decided the quiet street was probably worth the risk for the sweet treat involved only six doors down, even though she did cling to Harry's hand walking down the road answering my mother's many questions she had for her even breaking out in French when my mother swapped to it, leaving Harry looking very confused.

"Don't worry they are just talking about some books still." I told him.

He just shook his head. "No, it's just more that I just forgot she would be able to speak it. Her English is so good."

"Her parents were English." I reminded him.

He nodded and I saw once again that flicker of regret cross his face before we arrived at the corner store, and Teddy started asking for pretty much every sweet he saw, before asking where the chocolate frogs were. Olivia was once again looking wide eyed and holding on to Harry, who picked her up as I attempted to keep Teddy's enthusiasm under control.

We were quite pleased with our little trip by the time we dropped Teddy back to Andromeda's after Lunch and Flooed back to the Burrow. My parents were now no longer able to complain I hadn't brought Harry or Teddy over for a while and they had now met Olivia so I felt like I had played the good daughter and Harry well he was terribly proud of Olivia's confidence in going for Ice Cream and made her feel like she climbed a huge hurdle, going on how pleased Ginny would be with her bravery.

Arriving at the burrow we only found Molly in the Kitchen. "Hello dears, did you have a good time?" She asked making us all sit down. "I'll just put the kettle on. Olivia do you want some cookies? I just made a batch."

"Yes please Gran." She answered climbing up to a chair at the table. "Is Ginny home?"

"No, but I imagine she'll be back any minute. The boys listened to the game but Arthur got them back out working on the house the minute the snitch was caught. I don't know what they were thinking charming those paint brushes like they did." Molly sighed as she took a breath. "You would think they would charm them to not paint the windows. But no they totally forgot that bit of the charm." She paused shaking her head. "They were too interested in the game to think properly about it and now half the upstairs windows are painted over."

Harry and I shared a smile. It really did sound like something Charlie and Ron would do. "So did harpies win?" Harry asked grabbing a biscuit off the plate and took a seat as soon as Molly placed it on the table.

Molly nodded her head. "Yes, yes. They won."

I smiled as Olivia grabbed three biscuits and climbed over on to Harry's knee stating just before she shoved one in her mouth. "We went to see Aunty Mione's parents and got ice cream."

Molly stopped and turned to look at Harry. "Really, she went down the road with you."

"It's only six houses." I added.

"Oh, but still that was very brave of you Olivia. Have another cookie honey." Molly pushed the plate towards Olivia, and Harry grabbed a second one.

I couldn't help the thought that ran through my brain questioning if Olivia was anything like Teddy she was going to start going completely hyper due to the amount of sugar she had consumed today. But Olivia grinned with her mouthful and grabbed another one anyway.

"Now, are you all staying for dinner?" Molly asked as she now placed steaming cups of tea in front of Harry and I then a glass of pumpkin juice down for Olivia.

"Ahh, no Ron and I have Neville's bucks night." Harry told her.

Molly clicked her tongue. "I hope you boys behave yourselves. I don't like the things that go on at those."

Harry smiled. "Don't worry Molly, I had to organize it and we won't be having any of those sorts of witches you don't approve of." He consoled the woman who thought of him as her son. "Not to say Seamus did suggest quite a few."

I snorted remembering the couple of floo conversation the boys had this week with him. "Like Hannah would have allowed any of that."

"Or Neville would even know what to do or where to look if there were." Ron scoffed walking in from the outside. "We sorted out the windows Mum." He added giving his mother a kiss on the cheek as he grabbed a handful of biscuits from the plate.

Molly half glared at Ron. "Neville's a good boy that's why. I would hope you would be the same Ronald."

"Yes Mum." Ron answered her winking at Harry.

"Don't worry Molly, Harry's even more scared of me than he is of Hannah." I told her with a smile. Ron was so often all talk, as if I would marry him if he was into stripping witches.

"All fixed Mum." Charlie walked in. "Dad's still in the shed wondering if we should have used muggle towers of poles to paint the higher levels."

"It's called scaffolding." I corrected him.

Charlie just grinned at me before continuing. "Yeah well who could be bothered building a tower just to paint. Dad's been pondering that while Ron and I just flew up there and charmed the brushes. It worked fine."

"Other than the windows?" I pointed out.

Charlie rolled his eyes. "We didn't want to miss the game. Ginny was playing."

"Yeah, it's the family thing to do, listen or go and watch when it's you little sister." Ron added.

Harry snorted and then asked. "So when was the last time you listened one of Percy's presentations at the ministry. Wouldn't that be the family thing to do?"

Charlie groaned, and Ron almost choked just at the thought.

"They are very well researched and full of facts." I added. "I'll be sure to remind you the next time he is due to deliver a new policy to the Wizengamot."

"I'm so glad I live in Romania." Charlie chuckled.

Ron groaned looking at me as Molly beamed at him. "Oh what a wonderful idea, Percy would love that."

"Harry will you read to me, or take me out on my broom?" Olivia asked, clearly finished eating her biscuits and taking stock of the world around her again as she sipped on her pumpkin juice.

"Can you just let me drink my tea?" Harry asked amused at being hurried up.

"She has you wrapped around her little finger doesn't she?" Charlie asked Harry with a smirk.

"Whipped." Ron commented.

It was then I heard the fireplace in the family room flare and signal that someone had arrived. Olivia put her glass on the table and looked up. "Ginny?" She asked wriggling around to get off Harry's knee as fast as possible.

Harry sighed and put her on the floor shaking his head as she took off. "Only when it suits her, I'm always dumped for a better offer." He joked picking up his cup of tea and taking a sip.

"Hello baby girl." I heard Ginny's bag being dumped so she could probably gather Olivia into her arms.

I turned to see Ginny walk back into the room holding Olivia. "Great game." Charlie grinned at her. "I so wish I could listen to the English league in Romania."

"You could always move home." Ginny commented, not quite her normal sarcastic self. "Mum, could you take Liv for a walk I need to talk to Harry and Ron." I felt myself tense up Ginny's voice which was clearly finely controlled. It had that edge I recognised from school that normally meant she was holding herself back from exploding.

Charlie's eyebrows rose. "I'll do it, you wanted to go flying didn't you sweetheart." He said moving over to the back door and opening it. "Where's your broom?"

"On the step." Molly told him and grabbed her cup of tea. "I just might take this out to Arthur." She grabbed a couple of biscuits from the table.

Olivia grinned at Charlie as Ginny placed her on the ground and watched her head out the back door after Charlie, followed closely by Molly.

I glanced at Ginny. "Is it safe to stay, or should I run for cover too?" I asked her. Not that I had seen her blow up since she had a go at Harry the first summer after the war.

Ginny just shrugged her shoulders at me before turning on Harry. "You could have bloody told me the Aurors still at the stadium were there to stop me talking to reporters. What right have you and Kingsley got telling Gwenog you don't want me doing any press conferences?" She started her voice rising with each word.

Harry and Ron had the sense of mind to look a little shocked at the outburst then sheepish. "I...I forgot. There's been a bit going on." Harry half mumbled.

"We just didn't want you being hassled after the kidnapping." Ron told her looking a little scared. I wanted to laugh. Ron and Harry could face anything their jobs threw up them and even the darkest wizard of our time but Ginny angry. Well that seemed to be another story all together. "Also we're still not entirely sure who knows what out there. We not sure we have all the ones who knew the truth in custody."

"You're not?" Harry and Ginny questioned together and I watched as Ron turned a shade almost brighter than his hair in seconds. Oh, crap maybe I should have run for the hills and left Ron to it.

Harry glared at Ron. "And I don't know this why? I know I'm not on the case anymore for obvious reasons, but are you telling me that there could be someone out there who has it in for Ginny that knows the truth."

Ron pulled on the collar of his sweater. "Maybe, I'm not entirely sure. I'm personally involved as well, so I'm only allowed to look at the paper work."

"But you knew the Auror's at the stadium were there to stop me talking?" Ginny turned back to Harry.

"No, I thought they were there to stop reporters getting into to hassle you. Kingsley mentioned he had asked Gwenog to pull you from the press conferences, but well I know reporters they will take every chance they get to ask about something as personal as a kidnapping of your child." Harry answered her, still pretty much glaring at Ron. "How big do they think this betting ring is?"

Ron shifted in his seat. "They don't think much bigger. They just...well...well it seems unlikely that the 3 we caught were the mastermind behind it all."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Well I suppose I can't argue with you there. I just didn't really think about it."

"How could you not think about it?" Ginny asked him. "This could hit the news at anytime and throw Olivia's life into even more chaos."

"Well excuse me to not being on top of absolutely everything. It's not like the kidnapping turned my whole life upside down or anything." Harry bit back at her.

Ron still a ghastly shade caught my eye. "Can we run?" He mouthed at me, causing me to swallow a half choked laugh and shake my head. I turned back to look at Ginny who after Harry's comment of his life being turned upside down had sighed in frustration and strode over the sink, pouring herself a cup of water from the tap and taking a sip while from what I could gather trying to pull herself together.

The back door opened again and Charlie stuck his head in looking around. "Okay no curses going down." He muttered then looked behind him. "Looks like its safe to use the loo kiddo." And Olivia dashed back inside barely looking at anyone heading quickly for the downstairs toilet. It always amused me that little kids would always leave it to the last minute.

Ginny's eyes followed her dash before she placed the glass down in front of her. "I'm just a little pissed off that's all." She spoke to the window not to us. "I'm apparently in the running for 'Rookie of the Year' but I have to court the media if I want to win. Something Gwenog spent 20min's lecturing me about today."

"Wow, really?" Ron sat up amazed.

"Yeah, especially considering I missed two games while in France. I can hardly believe it myself." Ginny half ground out. I knew she had been doing well this year and the fans loved her. But well looking at the amazement on Charlie and Ron's faces I knew this was a pretty major award.

Harry was the first out of his chair, he gently placing a hand on her shoulder and I noticed her stiffen slightly causing Harry to drop his hand back to his side. "Don't worry Gin." I hadn't heard her called that in years well it was only ever Harry that shortened her name even more so it was hardly surprising but... "We'll get on top of this and you can do as many stupid interviews as you like. I'll even let you tell some silly stories about me when I younger."

My eyes almost popped out of my head. I wasn't allowed to write a book on him, but Ginny who had spent the last few years ignoring him, yeah, yeah I know now she had her reasons but still...she was going to be allowed to talk to the media about Harry? He would kill the rest of us if we did that.

"I don't want to court the media. I was just pissed off having to sit through a lecture questioning me about not talking to the press when I had no idea I wasn't allowed to, or not even meant to." Ginny turned to Harry. "Gwen was in a right mood about it all."

Harry winced. "Sorry. I know she's bossy."

Ginny snorted. "Yeah well you can explain that to Liv when Gwenog gets so pissed off at me for not getting the award that she knocks me out with a bludger for a few weeks."

Harry's face almost went green at Ginny's joke. "That's not funny."

Charlie sat down beside me and grabbed another biscuit from the plate which was now almost empty. Nudging me in that side and nodding at Harry when I turned to him. "That face answers my question from last night." He muttered with raised eyebrows. I frowned trying to remember what he had asked.

"It was a joke Harry." Ginny exclaimed causing me to look away from Charlie and back at her. She placed her glass back on the bench with another sigh.

Olivia raced back into the room. "All done." She said stopping by Charlie. "Can we go up on your broom?" She asked him.

"No." Harry and Ginny both turned, answering at the same time.

Charlie shot them an amused look. "Sorry kiddo, I don't think that's a good idea. Maybe in a few years, Harry and Ginny can bring you over to the see the Dragons and I'll take you up over to look at them then."

"Really." Olivia asked looking at Harry and Ginny as if Charlie had just offered her the world.

Ginny rolled her eyes. "She won't leave the house with Mum or I but she'll fly over Dragons." She muttered.

"I went for Ice Cream with Harry and Aunt Mione today." Olivia announced to Ginny placing her hands on her hips with a slight glare that had enough of a hint of Ginny in to make Charlie almost crack up and me smirk. Ron was just back to eating biscuits. I think he figured he was out of trouble for now.

Ginny looked to Harry. "Really?" She asked.

He nodded at her. "Yeah, we flooed over to Hermione's parents, it's only 6 houses down the road to the corner shop." He paused shrugging his shoulders. "But she even walked herself." I could still hear just how proud he was in his voice.

"Oh, that's wonderful. What flavour did you have?" Ginny asked walking around the table and scooping Olivia into her arms again.

"Chocolate." Olivia told her. "I always have Chocolate. But they didn't have any Chocolate frogs. Are you on a card like Harry?"

Ginny shook her head. "No. I'm not."

"You will be if you win that award." Ron piped in. Ginny and Harry both glared at him. Ron looked confused. "But remember I was the first one in the family to have one." He shrugged ignoring the glares.

Olivia looked at Ron, then back at Ginny. "Does he really have his own Frog card?" Like she wasn't quite sure if she believed him.

"I do, look I'll show you." Ron said pulling out his wallet and producing one then handing it to Olivia who looked at it and back to Ron.

"You carry around your own Chocolate Frog Card?" Charlie asked clearly amused. "I would think you would carry the one of your Fiancé. Not one of yourself."

I smiled. "Nope, he doesn't like my card." I told Charlie.

Harry snorted from the bench.

"Why?" Charlie looked at Ron. "I've got one I think it's a beautiful picture of Hermione."

Ron had turned a little red at the question, and he muttered. "It lists Krum as her first boyfriend."

I smiled, it still really got to Ron that he hadn't been my first snog. Charlie just barked out a laugh.

Harry sighed placing a hand over his heart. "You know it broke poor Ron's heart at the time, his hero stealing his girl from right under his nose."

"Oh, shut up." Ron groaned. "Don't we have to get going?" He asked looking at his watch.

Harry glanced at his. "Yeah. We do."

"I might hang here." Then I added in. "Have dinner as you are both going to be out."

Ron stopped by me and gave me a kiss before heading out. "See you when I get home then."

"Yeah, don't get too drunk or you can sleep in Teddy's room." I answered him, with a smile.

"I know." He half groaned. "I snore when I'm pissed."

"It sounds like a steam train running through the house." Harry snorted walking over to where Ginny still held Olivia. "Right little one, I'll see you tomorrow for lunch." He said, taking her from Ginny to give her a hug and kiss on the cheek. It was so sweet to watch him with her.

"Okay." She said, throwing her little arms around his neck then kissing him on the cheek back. "I love you." She blurted out hugging him again.

Harry's face almost radiated his eyes wide and his cheeks flushed for a second then he held Olivia closer to himself and closed his eyes. "I love you too don't you ever forget it." He whispered to her.

I suddenly felt like the rest of us shouldn't be there. It was such a special moment for him.

Olivia pulled back and looked at him grinning. "I love you, you love me." She half sang. "We're a happy family, with a great big hug and a kiss from me to you." She hugged and kissed him as she sang. "Won't you say you love me too?" She giggled at the end.

"Hey, that's our song." Ginny complained, but the look on her face was one of wonder at Harry and Olivia.

Olivia looked back at her. "It's nice to share." She told her. Sounding very much like she was repeating something Ginny or Molly would have told her when playing with Teddy or Victoire. Making us all laugh.

"Well I do love you, but I do have to go sweetheart." Harry smiled hugging her one last time. "Be a good girl for Ginny won't you."

"Okay." Olivia answered squirming to get down from him, now her moment was over. "I want to ride my broom." She announced back to Charlie.

Harry put her down reluctantly and looked at Ginny intently. "You taught her that song?" He asked.

Ginny had turned quite red under his gaze. "It's from a Muggle TV program for kids, Barney the Purple Dinosaur. It just something we sing with each other."

Ron grabbed Harry by the arm. "Great now Harry will be glowing like he's in love all night and I'll have to fend off questions about just who the girl is. Bloody Hell." He grumbled, clearly seeing that Harry was indeed looking very smug.

"Language Ron." I exclaimed sending him a glare. I mean really Olivia was still in the room. I watched as Ron started to drag Harry away whose gaze seemed to have linked with Ginny's at some stage with unasked questions shining in his eyes.

Charlie tapped me on the shoulder causing me to turn to him as he held out one hand for Olivia take. "I reckon they could be married before you." He whispered in my ear, nodding back towards Ginny.

I could feel my eyebrows rise in surprise, what on earth was he on about? I turned back to see Ron pull Harry into the family room clearly heading for the floo. As Ginny pulled out a seat and flopped into it, crossed her arms and rested her now completely red face on them.

"Right, we'll be back when this one gets tired of her broom. I guess it might be a few hours." Charlie called out as I heard the door open and shut with Olivia starting to chat away to Charlie.

"You alright?" I asked Ginny, confused by the fact she suddenly seemed very embarrassed.

"I feel like I'm 11 again." She muttered groaning afterwards. "Why can't I control myself?"

"Okay, I think you've lost me completely." I told her.

Ginny raised her head slightly and looked at me for a long moment. "Surely you can work this one out Hermione." She stood up again and headed for the stairs muttering away to herself. "One intense look, that's all it takes and you turn red. Control yourself Ginny. Bloody control yourself."

Oh...Oh...Oh.

Really...? No...? But Charlie? No...? But...? Oh hell...well maybe not, maybe it was brilliant? No, it was brilliant wasn't it? Harry had never really given up on her...and now? Well there was still alot to work through but...

I felt my smiling at the thought, probably grinning like an idiot actually. Ginny still had feeling for Harry, and I gather from her face just now she was finally admitting it to herself.


End file.
